Mom and Dad drove me 3.5 hours across the state for an early, surprise birthday gift! When we parked near the Fiserv Forum, however, I was disappointed to learn that we weren’t special guests of Giannis Antetokounmpo for an exciting Milwaukee Bucks game. But, my low spirits were quickly heightened when I got to experience my first fast-paced and fun-filled professional soccer game at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena next door.

While I cheered on my newly-discovered favorite soccer team, the Milwaukee Wave, Genesee gawked at the Disney princesses and super heroes who happened to be the theme of the night. So naturally, at games’s end, I stood in long lines to obtain signatures of the top athletes in the sport, while Mom reluctantly accompanied Genesee who unabashedly requested a photo shoot with each real-life character. Priorities, I guess?