I’ve gotten in the habit over the past few years to write a reflective blog, especially when it comes to concerts and such, but I really didn’t go to many concerts this year.
This year was all about change for me. I set out to do something that I have been wanting to do for the past year and a half and I did it – I left journalism.
The decision wasn’t easy for me because, well, I guess being a journalist is in my blood. It was probably always in my blood, long before I found the calling of the college newspaper. Sometimes I’ll get all excited when the news is breaking and continuously watch CNN’s news page at work, waiting on the latest breaks in a case. It’s probably something that I will not get used to, but it’s refreshing.
Working in the news industry, especially in this day and age, can be a little nerve-wracking. When you have a President who half the country loves and half the country hates, who also hates what seems like all media and then crazy people shooting up newsrooms, it was just time to get out. The passion wasn’t in me anymore. And to be honest, working in journalism doesn’t pay the bills. I was tired of putting off one bill to pay another. I was tired of always being broke.
My big change this year was leaping into a career that I had thought about during college, but that I enjoy – marketing. And it’s refreshing because for the first time in a long time, I feel appreciated. You don’t know what that can do for a person’s self-confidence. I’m a lot happier now. Granted, I’m still as busy as I was before even if I don’t work nights anymore, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Plus, getting in that wreck and some chick totaling my brand new car put a damper on things.
Concert wise, it was a very slow year, but that’s because of everything that happened.
In May, I went on the 2018 Backstreet Boys Cruise and had the time of my life. The whole cruise was amazing, but my favorite part had to be playing BSBHQ with Nick and winning. I thought it would be hard to outdo the 2016 European cruise, but they did. “Millennium” night was probably my favorite night, even though I wasn’t near the stage and I was on the very top part of the ship in the back, I had the perfect view for EVERYTHING.
That cruise inspired me to get back into my writing and try to finish something that I had started in March. That lead to publishing “How to be an Adult Fangirl (and not Ruin Your Life).” For my first book, with minimum promotion, I guess it was a success. I still have people messaging me that they love the book. My next one will come out on New Year’s Day and I really need to be editing that one right now instead of writing this blog post.
The other concert I went to this year was the Backstreet Boys show in Las Vegas that I won from Star 94.1 here in Atlanta. That was probably the shock of the year. When I entered the contest, I never thought I’d win. I mean, radio stations have that type of contest all the time but you never know someone who wins.
Julia and Lacy couldn’t make it so Mara flew up from Florida and went set out on a 30-something hour trip to Las Vegas that was amazing. I didn’t get but maybe 4 hours sleep in the span of three or four days, but you know what? It was worth it.
There’s nothing that a hug from these guys can’t fix and also seeing friends from around the country and world while you’re at an event is probably my favorite thing about going to see the Backstreet Boys. People joke about calling us a family, but we are. We are sisters from different misters. Seeing these guys, even the ones that live far, far away, does me so good.
And I’m riding on that high until February when I get to go to Las Vegas with most of my closest, best friends to celebrate Julia’s big birthday with the boys.
2019 is going to be a year for the books and I hope it goes as well as 2018 did. 🙂
