My Blue Heaven Happy Place

J Trav
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My Blue Heaven Happy Place
My Blue Heaven Happy Place

Photo Essay for The Photographic Journal

The Los Angeles Dodgers have finally reached the apex of Major League Baseball. After waiting 32 years and falling short in back-to-back World Series, this past October, at long last, they became the 2020 champions. Ever since I made the move to Los Angeles nearly five years ago, I’ve watched every game possible. But my fascination with the Dodgers dates all the way back to 1988—the year of their last World Series win.

I grew up on all things baseball. I lived on the outskirts of Atlanta, but played little league in a Dodgers uniform. I remember watching the '88 series and dreaming about the West coast. I collected cards with my Dad, played video baseball games with my cousin, and, throughout college, even worked at Turner Field—the former home of the Atlanta Braves.

My first visit to Dodger Stadium was in 2014, and I instantly loved the feeling of being there. A familiar comfort washed over me and I was captivated by the experience: the legacy of the Dodgers, the energy of Angelenos, and the quintessentially Californian backdrop of mountain peaks and palm trees beyond the outfield. Blue Heaven couldn’t be a more fitting description.

Fast forward to this year, when the coronavirus pandemic swept through the United States, shutting down baseball for more than three months. Amidst the lockdown, my girlfriend Marion and I had a discussion one night about the places that make us happiest. Most places were off-limits due to restrictions. We each made a list and both of them included Dodger Stadium. In person attendance wasn’t an option this year, but even so, the Dodgers won 43 of their 60 games. We cheered them on from afar—it was the best we could do.

I feel a unique connection to this team and this city—a symbiotic relationship with loving baseball and living in Los Angeles. These two championships now connect my childhood with my adult life, a mashup of adolescent memories and beloved creature comforts: Dodger Blue and West coast sunshine. This photo series is a love letter to the Dodgers and Los Angeles. Congratulations on a miraculous season and world championship.

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Taken on: December 2, 2020
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