Welcome to the year 2015. My parents were right. Time flies by so much faster the older you get. It’s really unfortunate we can’t push a pause button on life. With every new year comes a sense of reflection, refreshment and revitalization. But don’t worry, I’m not going to waste my breath or your time by posting any of my resolutions. I am, however, making some impressive progress with my 30 Things to Do for 30. Like seeing Billy Joel in concert. The real Billy Joel playing his real piano in New York City at Christmas. It sounds too good to be true and in all honesty, it was almost exactly that.
My cousin and I took a really quick trip to New York City before the holidays for the sole purpose of seeing Billy Joel in concert. It didn’t frighten me that we were in the cab on the way to our hotel and didn’t yet have tickets to the show because I almost feel like scouting out the best ticket deals on StubHub and online is my second profession. During the 45 minute drive, I found an individual on Craigslist selling the exact tickets I wanted for significantly less than what I had been able to find. Now I know that immediately sounds sketchy and trust me, I had my reservations. So I stalked the guy. Before I sent the money via PayPal, I knew when this guy graduated college, where he worked and his favorite TV shows. If he tried to scam me, I was going to hunt him down Catfish-style.
It wasn’t a scam. Within minutes, I had legitimate tickets on my phone and excitement in my bones. Our hotel was right across from Madison Square Garden so the night of the show, we got all dolled up and headed to the bar next door for a quick pre-concert adult beverage. The show started at 8pm so at 7:40pm, we left the bar and started the exhausting process of getting through the two security lines to enter the venue. I know this totally sounds like a police report but details are extremely crucial in order for you to fully appreciate this story. After searching our purses and then scanning our bodies for metal, we made it into the arena. And then we enjoyed a blissful night of listening to all of our favorite Billy Joel songs. The end.
Just kidding. This story wouldn’t be good if I didn’t pull a total Priscilla. After passing through the second security line, I retrieved the tickets on my phone to prepare for the final leg of the entrance process. It was in that very moment, at 7:55pm that I realized the tickets I had purchased for Billy Joel were for 2/18 and not 12/18. Are you comprehending that? I flew to New York at the busiest time of year to see one of my favorite artists only to realize five minutes before the show that I had bought tickets for the wrong month.
Cut me a little slack. I was only one (very important) number off and in my excitement must have totally overlooked the date. So at 7:58pm and in a matter of one minute, I got on StubHub and bought the first set of tickets I could find. The new and correctly dated tickets were on my mobile by 8pm which is the exact moment StubHub closes all sales. After a mild panic attack, we were finally in the last line and had the correct tickets only to be told by the attendant that for that particular show they wouldn’t accept mobile tickets and that we would need to have ours printed.
I would now like for you to picture the two of us running out of Madison Square Garden, into the crowd of people trying to get in, across the street, into a wrong locked building where the security officer thought we were crazy, back across the street, into the right hotel, searching aimlessly for the business center, finding the business center and having to enter a card into a machine to get a card to then enter into a computer in order to use the internet. And might I add, all of this while wearing 3-inch heels and the most fabulous glitter jumpsuit you’ve ever seen.
After going through the entire security process again, we grabbed a drink for each hand and planted our sweaty butts in our seats before the opening act finished. And for the following two hours, I watched an idol and reminisced about the impact Billy Joel had on my life at such an influential time. Such an impact that my love for his music will outlast the very reason I listened in the first place.
Was it the most amazing show I’ve ever seen? No. Was it one of the most memorable concert experiences? By far. Am I a total blonde? Absolutely. In the words of the Piano Man himself, “And so it goes.”
In case you’re a Billy Joel fanatic like me, there’s presently an amazing set of tickets on StubHub for his February 18th show in New York City. Not to be confused with his December 18th show. And just as a selling point, hearing him sing “New York State of Mind” while in New York is pretty surreal.
See Billy Joel in concert.
Visit a theme park I’ve never been to.
See Garth Brooks in concert. Garth’s concert ranks as one of my all-time favorite shows. It could have something to do with the fact that the drummer gave me both drumsticks at the end of the show.
Go to a hookah lounge.
- Step out of my comfort zone for an experience.
- Take piano lessons.
Go camping.
- Pay off my credit card.
- Take pole dancing classes.
- Volunteer.
- Start a journal.
Indulge in an unusual spa service.
Go fishing.
Own a Louis. Happy Birthday to me! By far, the best present Chase has ever given me. (Runner up was the three oil change coupons he gave me one year.)
Go have an eye exam.
Attend an aerial class. I’ve never been so sore from a class. It was incredibly fun and one I’ll definitely want to go to again. In Raleigh? Give Cirque de Vol a try!
Send my grandmother flowers unexpectedly.
- Go to church.
- Get in crazy good shape.
- Go to hot yoga.
- Write a letter to myself to open in ten years.
Plan a fun trip with my close friends.
- Pay a stranger’s restaurant bill.
- Go skinny dipping.
- Swim with dolphins.
- Transfer old home movies from VHS to DVD.
- Host a dinner party.
Ride a train.
- Create a family recipe book.
- Dance in the rain.



