I never thought I’d say this, but I have officially jumped on the Taylor Swift bandwagon.
My teenage daughter, like many others, has loved Taylor Swift for years. While I can’t say I was into her music since her career began in 2006, I am now. It’s me, Hi, I’m a Swiftie now. Why? Simple answer. I attended The Eras Tour this summer with my daughter, and we’ve never been closer.
Let’s rewind a little. When the Eras Tour was announced, my little Swiftie went absolutely feral for tickets. Her sweet little heart was set on being able to go. Knowing how high the demand was for these tickets, I wasn’t confident I would be able to fulfill her wish, and I knew I had to prepare myself for disappointment.
The day came to buy tickets, and I think many of us experienced, or at least heard, how disastrous it was for fans. I couldn’t get through the long wait time to purchase tickets. It just wasn’t possible with my job, and I knew my kid was going to be crushed. I think we can all agree we will do anything to make our kids’ dreams come true. This was something I really wanted to be able to do for my daughter. But this dream seemed unreachable. I didn’t get tickets, and I felt like I failed her. Despite her disappointment, she took the news well. The world didn’t stop turning, and we moved on.
When the Eras Tour kicked off, my daughter’s hopes renewed. She begged us to look for tickets on resale sites. She started following Twitter accounts focused on helping fans connect with other fans who were selling tickets at face value. She scoured the internet for tips and tricks and would talk endlessly about the possibility of still being able to attend a show. She even made dozens of Taylor Swift-themed friendship bracelets.
As the Chicago dates came closer, a friend of mine told me about having good luck getting tickets on the same day of a show. I talked to my husband, and we decided to give it a try. The only prep work we did in advance was purchasing a 24-hour parking pass in downtown Chicago. We were willing to take some chances, but parking our car wasn’t one of them.
The morning of Eras night one in Chicago, we woke up and made the drive, not knowing how the day would play out. Long story short, we eventually secured two tickets at 4:30 p.m.; Taylor took the stage at 8:00 p.m.
The moment I saw pure joy and excitement burst from my child’s face, I knew in my heart this was worth it, and we hadn’t even stepped into the venue yet. My daughter gave me the rundown of all the places I needed to yell a phrase or clap a certain number of times. She drew a glittery “13” on my hand. And then, with every step we took closer to our seats, her anticipation grew.
Along the way, she exchanged friendship bracelets with fans of all ages. We bought the expensive tour merch. We sang, we danced, and we bonded in a way we really hadn’t in a long time. It all came down to sharing an experience and showing a genuine interest in something that was important to my daughter.
Was it a pricey experience? Yes. But the experience meant the world to her, and I know she’ll remember this for years to come. And I can’t put a price on that.
So, thank you, Taylor Swift, for bringing my daughter and me closer together.
