I know!
I have drug this recap out to three posts now and I am finally getting around to how I met Taylor. Really, thank you for not yelling at me.
Catch up
here and
here before reading this post. If you wanna.
So, last post I left you hanging with how we were chosen for Club Red and how meeting Taylor went.
So here goes...
I guess I should explain what Club Red is for those of you who aren't obsessed with Taylor. After almost all of her shows, Taylor has a Club Red. Club Red is basically a meet and greet but it lasts a little longer and only a select few are chosen from the crowd. Inside Club Red there is pizza, Cokes, candy, and several of her costumes are displayed from previous tours. About 20 to 25 people are chosen for each show. You are chosen from the crowd by Taylor's mom, Andrea, or someone working with her. You can be chosen for many different reasons but being a crazy fan is helpful. And, apparently, it doesn't matter where you are seated because we were at the very very top and were still chosen!
During The Lucky One, mom, Alyssa, and I were singing along and waving around our sign. By this point I had quit thinking about Club Red and was enjoying the concert. This lady came up to us and was talking to mom so I leaned in to see what was going on. Neither of us could hear her at all so I just smiled and said, "yes". You know, the way you do when you have no clue what someone is saying. I thought she was asking to get by or something.
Then I heard her say the magical words, "You are going to meet Taylor after the show!"
Y'all.
Que the hysteria. I was a mess.
I started crying immediately, put my hand over my mouth, and shook my head in disbelief for a long time. I remember looking at my mom, telling her we got to meet Taylor after the show and mom saying, "Ohh, Whitney's gonna cry!"
Damn straight I was going to cry.
I had been thinking about this moment for quite awhile, reading other people's stories about getting into Club Red, and looking at their pictures in envy. I couldn't, and still can't, believe that we were chosen! Out of 12,000 people, we were picked! It was the most excited I have ever felt. I called Garrett at work and left him a message telling him that I was going to get to meet Taylor. I was crying in that message. He has it on his phone still but I have yet to listen to it. I'm generally not that excitable, so to feel such intense emotion that was uncontrollable was crazy to me. I'm a pretty calm person most of the time.
The Lucky One was only the 5th song, so we still had quite some time to enjoy the concert. I wonder if they did that on purpose, choosing us during The Lucky One? I remember my mom saying, "We're the lucky ones!" Still makes me giggle.
Alyssa and I couldn't stop grinning and intermittently getting teary eyed and saying, "oh my God!"
Even though I look scared in this picture, I wasn't. I had so many emotions running through my head and I guess this is the face I make when that happens.
See those red bracelets? Those mean Club Red.
I had seen so many pictures of that little note. To be holding my very own was surreal. Mom held it at one point and pretended she lost it. Goober.
After the concert we met in section 23/24 with the other people who had been chosen. The lady that chose us explained the rules to us:
1. Take as many pictures as you want until Taylor arrives. After that, put your camera up.
2. You are allowed one picture with Taylor per group.
3. Taylor will sign one thing per person.
We were led through the foyer and across the way to the building where Club Red was. There were security around us so that no one could sneak in and there were fans outside asking if they could go in. Words can't express how lucky I felt to be in that line!
We were the first ones in line, so we got some good pictures.
Taylor's cat Meredith.
Dresses from her Speak Now tour:
The girl that had chosen us from the crowd was in there as well so I went up to her, thanked her multiple times, and asked her what got us chosen. She said that Andrea, Taylor's mom, had seen our sign during Ed Sheeran and had sent her to get us!
And then...they announced that Taylor was about to come in. I had been pretty nervous the whole time and when they said that I got even more nervous. Taylor came in, as well as Andrea, and said hi to the room and went to the first group. We weren't supposed to go up to her, they said "she will come to you." So, we just waited until it was our turn!
I approached Andrea and told her that we were the ones with the "MEOW" sign and thanked her multiple times for choosing us. She said that she had thought about moving us up to the very first row but decided to save us for Club Red instead! I asked her for a picture and told her thank you several more times.
Us with Taylor's mom!
Goodness! I can't believe I get to type this:
and then we met Taylor!!
She came up to us said, "hey guys!" and gave each of us a big hug. It wasn't just a wimpy side hug either. It was a full on hug. I may or may not have made Garrett recreate it so that I could show him the kind of hug we got. I did.
We talked about how awesome she was that night, that I was going to her Denver show as well and would be in the 4th row, Paris and Belgium, that she was excited for the Dallas show because it was going to be big, and a couple of other things I can't remember. She told us she liked our shirts and cat ears, I told her that I had made her a shirt but, like an idiot, I had left it at Alyssa's apartment. Figures. She said I got credit anyways.
She asked if we wanted a picture and we got these with her:
She is TINY! I know she looks skinny on TV but I swear she is even skinnier in person. She was the same height as Alyssa and I! : ) During our picture I said, "You are SO tiny!" She was like, "well thank you! Thank you for saying that." She was also so pretty. I swear that girl is flawless.
Then she asked if we had anything we wanted her to sign. We each had her sign our Tshirts.
We each got one more hug and then she was on to the next group. I swear it seemed like about 2 seconds total! She was really nice and seemed kind of quirky to me which made me like her even more.
After the last group, Taylor headed out to her tour bus and we were on our way home! The whole time we were there I kept telling myself, "Be in the moment. Take it all in." I felt like I just couldn't. It felt surreal and like it was a dream. I know that sounds cheesy but that's how it felt. I am so thankful to have had this opportunity and to have shared it with my mom and sister. It was fun seeing them get excited and I think they now have a better understanding of why I always advocate for Taylor.
Oh! And this happened:
Taylor's guitarist Grant saw our sign! : ) Exciiiiting.
This Sunday, Garrett and I are going to see her in Denver. He surprised me with VIP tickets for Christmas last year and we are going to be in the 4th row. I am so unbelievably excited! So, I apologize in advance for the amount of Taylor pictures you have been, and will be, seeing from me. Thanks for sticking with me! : )
