Cowboys Stadium: Stepping Inside the Mothership

'Have you seen the mothership?'

This was a typical Tuesday morning question from my sports literature professor, in reference to the building of the massive new stadium taking place a short drive down I-30 from the classroom I was sitting in.

The answer from anyone who doesn't live under a rock in the Metroplex: who hasn't?

For the last year or so, every trip from Fort Worth to Dallas has required a passing glance at the site of my beloved football team's new home. I was happy to see the arches as they were raised, becoming part of a beautiful landscape in the busy Tarrant County skyline.

So when it came time for Jerry (Jones, the owner, to you non-Cowboys fans) to open his majestic new toy for the public to see, I just knew I had to be there.

Forget the begging I had done for months trying to score tickets to a musical from my parents as a birthday present—that was a thing of the past. Instead, I wanted to be one of the first to set foot in the brand new stadium and celebrate my 21st birthday in the new home of my Dallas Cowboys.

It should be mentioned here that seeing George Strait and Reba McEntire was just as exciting for me, but put together with the grand opening... it was a no brainer for a country music/sports fanatic such as myself.

There I was, four days before my birthday, parking over three miles from the mothership, sporting my Witten jersey out of respect for the man I know will score some major points within those doors.

"Hey - do you even know who Jason Witten is?"

Yes, some drunk idiot had the audacity to ask me that as I made the so-called pilgrimage past the Rangers Ballpark. Instead of chewing him out for assuming that I stole my boyfriend's jersey, I chose to smile sweetly and nod my head so I could keep going. Blame it on the alcohol.

After trekking through the never-ending freshly painted parking lots, we finally made it to the entrance.

I was speechless.

My guy friends were going to be so jealous.

And with that, I stepped into the mothership, knowing it was a moment that will go down in history.

It was the best birthday present I'd ever received.