In October 2014 I went on a mission to buy tickets for my daughter to see Taylor Swift. She loves her and I could think of no better birthday present for her than to surprise her by getting the tickets for her birthday in December. I knew she’d be completely thrilled and there’s nothing that makes me happier than giving great presents to the people I love! So, here I go, online, in search of tickets.
Of course, the day the tickets became available for online purchase, my husband and I were driving to North Carolina for a mini anniversary vacation. We were weaving through small towns, up and down curvy roads, most of which could not provide me with a decent internet signal, and I was becoming increasingly afraid the tickets would sell out before I got mine! My husband, who might have been confused about the popularity of Taylor Swift, said, “Don’t worry about it. You can get them when we return in a few days.”
Well, let me tell you this: I WORRIED! For days, I WORRIED! I am a world class, A-number-one worrier. Tell me not to worry and I can ratchet up my worrying to Olympic status. A gold medal is in my future. I am Michael Phelps standing there with a pile of gold medals around my neck that all say “Worry Champion.” Nothing makes me worry more than when someone tells me ‘not to worry.’
So our lovely anniversary was spent with me vacationing in my favorite place in the whole wide world - the majestic and awe-inspiring Smoky Mountains - and knowing my Taylor Swift tickets were being snatched up by people with better internet connections than me.
Several days later we drove back to Florida, where the good internet connections live, and I got online, feeling kind of sad because I was convinced that all of her venues would be sold out. I knew the instant I started looking there would be a big marquee slapped over every potential option saying, SOLD OUT in big capital letters, almost taunting me. Of course, they’d all be sold out! After all, it’s Taylor, for gosh sakes, one of the biggest artists of all time doing her final tour before taking a break. I was doomed. DOOMED! I’d missed my chance and there wouldn’t be another opportunity for years.
What would I tell my daughter? “I wanted to get you Taylor Swift tickets but here’s a new sweater instead.” YIKES!
With my fingers nervously poised over my keyboard, I started looking for tickets. First, let me be completely honest here and let you know that I know about as much about purchasing anything online as I know about flying to Mars. Technology is not my strength but I forged ahead using something called StubHub while fear and panic were rising up in me. When I am buying something online I am always afraid I am going to accidentally click the wrong thing, charging my credit card a million dollars, and ending up with a leopard skin sofa or some other odd product I didn’t want.
Here we go …. 3, 2. 1 …. OH. My. GOSH. There are still some tickets!!!
Yep, I got so lucky because there were still tickets available. Of course, I was looking for tickets for a concert that was a year away and that helped a lot. I still felt very lucky and StubHub became my new hero and BFF! I found two great seats to see the one and only Taylor Swift in Tampa, FL on Halloween 2015!
My daughter was so surprised when I gave her the wrapped box containing the tickets. She opened it and kept staring at the tickets saying, “Oh, my gosh! Are these Taylor Swift tickets?” I kept reassuring her that ‘yes’ these are the tickets and she’d be seeing her in concert the following Halloween. She was tickled silly!
I bought two tickets for my daughter, letting her know that she could take any one of her friends with her. She decided she wanted me to go! Are you kidding me?? My daughter wanted me to be her date for the Taylor Swift concert??!! I was honored and delighted. I am one lucky momma!
A lot happened to both of us from the time of the ticket purchase to the day of the event and it seemed like the time just flew. Then suddenly it was October 2015 and we were preparing to go to Tampa.
We made loads of plans, in addition to the concert, like visiting Ikea to shop and eat Swedish meatballs, dinner with my daughter’s best friend, meals at our favorite restaurants, shopping, and relaxing. We did it all! So much good food, so many great places to see, and lots of coffee to keep us going from Thursday through Sunday.
Finally, the afternoon of Halloween arrived and we were preparing to go. Our first plan was to dress super girly – pink dresses, kitten heels, fancy jewelry – but that didn’t seem sensible when we realized we’d have to walk 1.5 miles to get to the stadium. Our second plan was to dig through our suitcases to find jeans and tees, and flat shoes for the journey. Because we both have a way of over packing for any event we each found what we needed and dressed down for the evening. We boarded the hotel shuttle for the first part of our transportation, then began our walk to the stadium.
It was nearly 100 degrees in Tampa and we were glad to be comfortable. On our walk, we saw lots of women and girls wearing heels (poor dears), costumes, and fancier clothing. We were very content in our ‘comfortable’ outfits and flats. The costumes were from a lot of Taylor’s videos and others were simply for Halloween. We saw everything you can imagine.
We made it to Raymond James Stadium and waited in line about 30 minutes or more for the gates to open. Standing, standing, standing …. Then suddenly the line started moving forward, our tickets were scanned, we were given light-up bracelets, and we were in the doors! The excitement was unbelievable for both of us. First stop, the merch table to procure two tee-shirts and a bag with a picture of Taylor! Yes, of course, we stepped away from the table, held the bag up in between us and took a picture of us ‘with’ Taylor! Our new BFF! Another quick stop at the pretzel and water concession stand, and we were in our seats, surrounded by other fans! We took pictures of everything – the stage, the stadium, the people around us, and each other. It was exhilarating and we were on the edge of our seats with anticipation!
It was 5:30 pm and the concert would officially start at 8:30 pm. Somehow the time really flew. There was great “people watching,” several trips to the overcrowded bathrooms, two pre-show opening acts (Shawn Mendes and Vance Joy were outstanding, too), and then FINALLY-FINALLY-FINALLY the stadium was quiet, lights exploded on stage, and Taylor came out with a bang singing New York! I really thought my heart would explode.
Now, I should tell you that I love Taylor but honestly know nothing about her and could sing some but not all of her songs. During the next two hours, I would fall more and more in love with her and her music. She is a delight!
The biggest thrill of this event for me was watching my beautiful daughter. Like me, she had anticipated this event for so long, and she was smitten by it all. As a mom, there is truly no greater joy in life than watching your children’s happiness unfold. So many times I would steal glances at her and see such pleasure on her face that it made me cry. I cried several times during the concert because I was so completely happy. It was that weird kind of crying that makes you feel like you can’t breathe, as if you’ll simply explode if the tears don’t run down your face. My throat was so tight because I didn’t want her to see me cry and think I was sad when what I really was was joyful.
I’ve had pure unadulterated joy several times in my life: When my brothers returned from their military service after being away for many years; When each of my children were born, all healthy and happy; When my son returned from his six years in the military; And watching my daughter’s happiness at the concert. I guess that sounds silly but somehow in that moment it wasn’t silly at all. It was real and true joy for me. It was special and I’ll never forget it.
If you’ve never had the chance to see this remarkable woman in concert, you really should. At a mere 25 years old she has her head on straight, sings like an angel, and shares a message the world needs to hear, now more than ever. It’s pretty simple really - just be nicer to one another. She is lovely and kind, she reaches out to her fans and cares.
As I sat in the sold-out stadium I was struck by what a wonderful world we live in. There we were, 55,000 people, all singing joyful songs, laughing with each other, sweating, and helping to make the world a better place. I looked to my left and flying over the stadium was a ginormous American flag waving in the breeze. This really is a great place to be, a great place to live, and a great time to be alive. We are blessed in our ‘Wildest Dreams.’
Comments