2019 is a year I’ll always remember as the year I decided to truly do things for myself and enjoy what I love. Life is short, and there’s only so many opportunities that will present themselves, so when they did, I decided to take advantage of them.
I tend to be the kind of person who isn’t much interested in spontaneity – in fact, most of the times, it really spikes my anxiety. I am a very organized person and feel that having a plan (and a backup plan) is always the best way to go.
This year, I had a summer internship that paid really well – much better than the part-time job I had held for the previous few years over the summer. I saved most of the money, but kept some of it around to make sure that I treated myself when necessary. It isn’t something I often do, but something that I’d be trying to force myself to incorporate more into my lifestyle.
So when my friends asked me to go see Lauv with them at Terminal 5, I agreed. When my friend called me asked if I wanted to see Shawn Mendes, I agreed – and Alessia Cara opened. When Lana Del Rey was going on tour with one east coast show twenty minutes from my school, I grabbed a friend and we went. When Ariana Grande was performing literally right next to my school, my friend and I bought the least expensive tickets we could find and we went.
Of course, the list of artists I’d want to see live is endless. But ticking off five of my favorites in pop all in one year, actually a matter of about four months, was a crazy and amazing experience.
It taught me to relax more, to live in the moment more and to take it easy – make the most of what was in front of me without simultaneously thinking about hundreds of other things.
Photo courtesy of Melanie Haid
I remember bright sun before Shawn Mendes and the short drive from my friend’s house in Clifton to the Prudential Center, driving through areas I’d never been to before. My heart ached as Alessia sang her raw, real music in a way that only she could. I relished in the long line of cars that it took to get to Lana and the ocean glistening around her as she sang as beautifully as I’d always imagined she would at the Jones Beach Amphitheater. I loved the shoving through crowds to get closer to Lauv in Terminal 5, tears streaming down my face as he talking about his struggles with mental health and how thankful he was to be at this point with all of us. I remember running in the highest heeled boots with my friend to Ari across the Hempstead turnpike to get to the Nassau Coliseum and reminiscing the history I associated with all of the songs as she went through her albums.
All of these moments, separate from each other, are so memorable and in and of themselves redefine how impactful music can be. All of these artists have impacted me significantly in my life, and to be able to see five of them in a matter of four months was lifechanging.
When a door opens, it’s often going to be a once and a lifetime experience that changes you forever. But if you let that door close, it’s gone in a moment. I’m so thankful that I let myself have these opportunities to see people live that mean so much to me, and I would do it a thousand times over; nothing quite compares to live music and hearing, in person, the songs you connect to so deeply.
Photo courtesy of Melanie Haid