Have you ever heard of a better combo than hanging out with your best friend and seeing Taylor Swift at The Eras Tour? If you’ve ever wondered how far two people will go to see their queen live, this article has all the answers. It’s a deep dive into the lengths that dedicated best friends and certified Swifties went to see the one and only Taylor Swift. They drove 500 miles for this, so buckle up, it’s going to be a wild ride!
This journey of a lifetime began all the way back in August 2023. Joanna Facetimed Heddi and surprised her with Taylor Swift tickets after fighting the great Ticketmaster war (HAHA get the song reference). After securing the tickets, the two of them had to endure the relentless year and a half wait until the day finally came to be in the same room as Taylor Swift.
Over that year and a half of waiting, Joanna and Heddi were so excited for the concert, to the point where Joanna set up a countdown on her phone to track the days left until the best day of their lives. As the date drew closer, they both ordered their outfits for the show! Joanna chose the iconic “Mirrorball” look, wearing a silver sequin top and skirt, silver cowgirl boots, mirrorball earrings, and a headband. Heddi went as the Lover era, with a pink tassel dress, metallic pink cowgirl boots, and pink gem heart sunglasses! The reality of seeing Taylor Swift felt intense once their outfits finally arrived in the mail.
Before they knew it, the day to start traveling to see Taylor was upon them. To get to the show, they faced several trials and tribulations. First, Joanna and Heddi took the Long Island Railroad to Penn Station in New York City to catch an Amtrak train to Maryland. Joanna, originally from Maryland, brought Heddi along for a quick visit to meet up with her mom, who was also coming to the show! After a three-and-a-half-hour train ride, they arrived safe and sound at Joanna’s childhood home.
After a brief visit, the girls packed up their sparkly cowgirl boots and glitter sprays and set out on the nine-hour drive from Silver Spring, Maryland, to Indianapolis, Indiana. The long drive passed quickly because they made friendship bracelets for the concert and listened to the entire 3-hour setlist to hype themselves up for the show! They also had fun by setting the goal of getting a photo of every state sign that they crossed into!
Soon enough, Joanna and Heddi arrived at their hotel, where they’d stay for the next two days leading up to the show. Once settled in, they went out to find dinner and discovered that the street names near Lucas Oil Stadium, where the concert would be held, had been changed to Taylor Swift song titles! It was surreal to see just how much Taylor Swift had taken over the city.
On the way to dinner, they decided to check if the merch line was still open to avoid the very well known long wait times. People usually have to wait three to four hours just for one piece of merch, but someone was looking out for them that night. They ran through the convention center, searching for the tables that would take all their money, and finally spotted the what seemed to be glowing Taylor Swift merch tables. They managed to slip into line just before closing and didn’t have to wait at all. THANK GOD!
The next morning, a quick TikTok search showed them a cute coffee shop, Bovaconti, serving Taylor Swift-themed drinks for the weekend. Like any crazy Swiftie would do, they set out to grab a Taylor-inspired drink, which came with an adorable Eras Tour sticker!
After getting some great coffee and food, it was finally time to get ready for the show! Joanna was on hair duty, curling everyone’s hair to perfection (thanks, Joanna!). Once hair, makeup, sparkles, glitter were complete and cowgirl boots were on, they headed to the stadium!. After taking photos outside, they found their seats inside. They were seated in the Lower Bowl and couldn’t believe how close they were to Taylor Swift! It didn’t feel real that this day had finally come. They took tons of photos by their seats in their stunning outfits and even traded friendship bracelets with some other fans!
Before the show, Heddi went on a mission to find a hot dog from the concessions as a pre-show snack. After a successful hot dog hunt, they returned to their seats, and just 15 minutes later, Gracie Abrams, the opening act for Taylor, began her set. Seeing Gracie live was incredible! When her set wrapped up, the 45-minute countdown to seeing Taylor began!
When the clock struck 8:00 p.m., and Lady Gaga’s “Applause” blasted through the stadium, they knew Taylor was moments away. As the song faded, the iconic ticking clock appeared on the screen, counting down to Taylor’s entrance. The crowd was going wild, and as the clock struck zero, the intro that they had waited so long to hear live began to play. All of the dancers began to enter the stage and the sounds of all of Taylors eras began to radiate through the stadium. It was the moment Joanna and Heddi had waited years for, finally hearing her voice live: “It’s been a long time coming.”
Taylor took them through all her eras in this order: Lover, Fearless, Red, Speak Now, Reputation, Folklore, Evermore, 1989, The Tortured Poets Department, and last but not least, Midnights. In the acoustic set, where she performs surprise songs each night, Indianapolis Night 1 was graced with “The Albatross,” “Holy Ground,” “Cold As You,” and “Exile.”
Joanna and Heddi danced and cried the night away, overwhelmed by the magic that is The Eras Tour. When the show ended, and Taylor and her dancers took their final bow, time didnt even feel real. Confetti and glitter covered the stadium as they made their way back outside. After walking and waiting an hour for an Uber, they finally returned to their hotel, where they packed up all of their things for their flight in the morning and took off their sparkly makeup and cowgirl boots, realizing the show had truly come to an end.
The next morning, the girls woke up tired and puffy eyed, however they still headed to Indianapolis International Airport. The airport was decked out in Taylor Swift posters, a friendship bracelet-making station, and even a local performer playing Taylor’s songs! After a short wait, they boarded their Spirit Airlines flight to New Jersey. The flight was quick, and soon they were back boarded the New Jersey Transit, Long Island Railroad, and finally their last Uber to their cozy dorm at Hofstra. Though it took a while to get home, they would do it all over again for the chance to see Taylor Swift.
This journey spanned planes, trains, and automobiles, but Joanna and Heddi wouldn’t trade it for the world. Experiencing The Eras Tour together as best friends is a memory they will cherish for the rest of their lives. They’re forever grateful for each other and this unforgettable adventure!