2014 in Review

Hi Hello!

So 2014 has come to an end. It is the end of the year and in just a few hours the new year will begin. I have decided to look back on my year and I realized that I've had a pretty great 2014. I've done more traveling this year, and I've seen a fair amount of concerts (not as many as I wished to...but its been a busy year).

So here is a look back at my year...

Jan. 27 - Yellowcard Concert where I met Chad Gilbert, Kait, and Nezzie of What's Eating Gilbert. With John and Brittany.

May - In Orlando with Cherry.

June thru August- Just a few of the staff from Camp. These people were my family for 3 months.

August 17(?) - Milwaukee Irish Fest. Being part of the Red Hot Chilli Pipers' new concert DVD with Brittany and John.

August 25(?) - Chicago Comic Con with my aunts.

August 29 - One Direction Concert with John, Brittany and Cherry.

August 28 thru 30 - Chicago with John, Brittany, and Cherry.

November 7 - The 1975 concert with John, Brittany, and Cherry.

November 25 - The release of John and Brittany's Christmas EP. 

Looking back I've noticed that I have shared most of these memories with John, Brittany and Cherry. Three of my closest friends and I wouldn't want it any other way. When you are making memories you want to make them with the people that mean the most to you and I'm glad that in 2014 I did just that. 

I do have plans for 2015. I wouldn't say that they are 'resolutions' because I feel that you can start working towards a goal at any point in the year...you don't need the first date of the calendar to start. But I do have goals, as well as plans for 2015 and these are goals that can be calculated. 

1. I want to go to more concerts. This being said...I'm going to set a number goal to try and reach. I want to see at least 20 bands/artists live in 2015. In 2014 I saw 10 bands live but I was also at camp for 3 months of the year which limited the amount of summer concerts I could go to. So I feel like 20 is a good number for me.

2. I will read more books. Towards the end of 2014 I have gotten back into the proper swing of reading in my free time. I will set another number of books to read by the end of 2015...this number will be 50. Since the end of summer I have read 15 books. That is including textbooks for school. I feel like if I can read 15 books in 3 months I can get close to 50 in 12 months.

3. I want to see more places. In 2014 I've traveled to Florida, Illinois and Minnesota. In 2015 I want that number to grow. I want to get to at least 3 states I've never been to by the end of 2015. This might be a stretch..depending on how my financial situation is in the new year...but I would like to get to some new states in the next year; expand my travels.

4. Finally I want to meet more people. Not in the sense that I want to meet them and become friends. But I would love to just sit down somewhere and start a conversation with a stranger. I want to hear more stories, hear other peoples goals and ambitions, struggles and victories. I realized from being at camp for 2 summers that you meet so many interesting people from different places of the world and I am so fascinated with that. I want to meet at least 5 people in 2015. In 2014 I've met so many people from different corners of the world from being at camp but this year I'm not going to camp so I set the number low so I can reach it easier.

That is it for my goals for 2015! If you set goals or resolutions or whatever you want to call it for the new year I would love to hear what you have planned! I would also love to hear what your highlights of 2014 were! Did you go on a road trip? Meet new people? See a band or artist live? Whatever...I want to hear it.

Talk to you in the new year!

Until next time my misfits,
Stefanie

The Direction and How Many Seconds of Summer?

Hi Hello

I was scrolling through my photo gallery on my phone and remembered that I never posted a blog about my trip to Chicago at the end of the summer. So Imma do it now. Legggooo!

At the end of the summer a group of friends and I took a road trip to Chicago before school started (for them). But it wasn't just any random trip, oh no, we went mainly to see One Direction and 5 Seconds of Summer (judge us). But we decided to make it a whole trip instead of just going down there for a day to see the concert.

When we got there we went and did the traditional Chicago tourist thing and went to Millennium Park and took selfies in the big bean. I mean, its not a trip to Chicago without doing that. I also found out that I was the only one in the group that has seen the big bean before, so I got to watch everyone else's first experience which was cool. We spent the rest of the day just walking around downtown Chicago and taking in the city.

Cherry and I taking bean selfies

 The Trump Building

 Over looking the river on Michigan Ave.

The Jay Pritzer Pavilion

The next day was the day of the concert. But we needed something to do during the day, so we decided to go down to Navy Pier and take a boat tour. It was such a beautiful day and the boat tour was very interesting and relaxing. We took the architectural tour, which I know my friend AJ would have loved because he's going to school to be an architect. It was nice to just sit back and cruise down the river and look at some buildings and also take in a little history and see the city in a different way. 

Then it was time for the concert! Even though we spent 2 hours in heavy stand still traffic and spent 50 dollars in parking, we made it into the stadium just as 5 Seconds of Summer started their first song. But finding our seats was a struggle, stupid Solider Field, and the security guard that we asked for help was extremely rude and asked me if I could read. Excuse me? I was inches away from initiating bitch mode and slapping him with a Packer fan comeback to his rudeness, but I was not about to get kicked out of this concert, so I just gave him a judgmental look and walked away saying thanks for nothing. But once we got to our seats we were all good to enjoy the concert. 5 Seconds of Summer was great as well as One Direction, but those pesky fan girls behind us were not. The decibel of their screams were high enough to cause me more hearing problems then the actual concert. And every time Niall started to sing they would scream, and I mean they screamed so loud it rattled my eardrums to the point where it hurt my head. There were a few times that I looked back at them and gave them the bitch face, and there was one time I wanted to turn and tell them that I did not pay this much money to hear them scream in my ear but to hear the boys sing. Like what is the point of screaming when an artist starts to sing? Don't you want to hear them sing and not yourself screaming? Like I don't understand the logic of a fangirl. But, besides all of that, the concert was very pleasant, and it was Liam's Birthday as well, so it made it a little special. Judge me all you want, but I was so happy that I got to experience a concert like that. Even if you don't like One Direction or 5SOS, it is an experience in itself to see a music group that big live in concert. And, to just shoot down al the haters, they do sing live (trust me, I know the different between live and recording) and they gave a great performance. So shut your hating mouth. We all have our own opinions, if you like them you like them, if not you don't. But don't talk shit about an artist or make false acquisitions about them just because you don't like them. Overall, it was a great night.

Zayn, One Direction.

Harry, One Direction.

Niall, One Direction.

Ashton, 5 Seconds of Summer.

Michael, 5 Seconds of Summer.

The next day we were all pretty beat, so we just went home. It was a great trip and I'm glad that we made it into a whole weekend trip and experienced the city. It had been a while, a whole year, since I had been to Chicago and it was nice to go back and see this concert. But now I have no concert planned to see in the near future and that leaves a hole in my heart. I need to see someone live soon. Time to go searching for bands to see!

If you have seen a concert recently, leave a comment below about your experience, good or bad. I want to know what you guys are up to!

Until next time my misfits,

Stefanie.