I’ve been a fan of Taylor Swift since her debut album. I was in college when she arrived on the scene, and I grew up right alongside her as her music evolved over the years. When The Eras Tour was announced, I had my sights set on the June 2nd show in Chicago because it was an important day for me. I enlisted in the military 20 years ago on that date, and this year I would be retiring on that same date, ending what was a significant era in my life.
I was lucky enough to be selected for the Verified Fan presale. Like so many others, I sat in the queue all day, reactivated my Twitter account after years of inactivity to see why the line wasn’t moving, finally got in to select tickets, had them in my cart, and got kicked out before I could purchase them. I was part of the Ticketmaster debacle, but it worked out. A few weeks later, Ticketmaster sent me an email saying that they were asked by Taylor’s team to release more tickets. And I ended up with seats on the floor in the front row—much better than the tickets I initially had selected in my cart.
I enlisted in the military 20 years ago on that date, and this year I would be retiring on that same date, ending what was a significant era in my life.
When people found out I had scored the most impossible tickets to The Eras Tour, it was always followed with the question, “Are you taking your daughter?” The answer to that question was no. While I have two daughters, ages 7 and 10, everyone assumed I would take my oldest. But I had planned to go with one of my best friends, a fellow Swiftie, the whole time. Call it selfish, call it what you want to, but there are several reasons why I didn’t think to take my daughters to The Eras Tour.
Certain Taylor Swift Albums Got Me Through a Rough Patch
Folklore came out in the summer of 2020. And while the world was going through a rough patch, I was in the thick of my divorce era. I would be lying to say that tears weren’t shed while listening to the albums Folklore and Evermore on repeat. I needed to be able to sing along with Taylor at the top of my lungs to “The 1” and “Champagne Problems” without little eyes watching me, wondering why I was crying.
Girlfriends Can Fix Things Little Girls Can’t
Everything was truly working out in our favor in regard to the tickets and the seats. The universe knocked us down a few notches when we arrived at Soldier Field. My friend had to throw her purse away because it was tinted and not considered clear. My zipper got stuck in the down position after our first bathroom stop of the evening before the concert even started. We had several people trying to help us. But the zipper wouldn’t budge for some reason. Thankfully, my friend thought to tuck the back of my romper into my bra so it looked like a deep v-cut in the back. And had a jean jacket to cover up part of it. But my 10-year-old daughter would’ve been no help in this wardrobe malfunction emergency.
Source: Maria Childs
I Know My Daughter’s Limits
By now it’s no secret Taylor Swift performs for over three hours on The Eras Tour. My daughter couldn’t even make it through The Little Mermaid without a bathroom break. As parents, we know our children best. And when I took my oldest to see The Devil Wears Prada in Chicago last year, she had a tough time sitting through that performance, which was two hours and 25 minutes.
While I know a Broadway musical is a different kind of show than a music concert, where she can sing and dance along, I didn’t want to take any chances. I witnessed a mom pleading with her 7-year-old daughter to stay for a few more songs. My heart broke for that mom (and we were only an hour into the show).
Leaving The Eras Tour Venue Was a Nightmare
My friend and I stayed in our seats until they told us we had to leave. We were soaking up every minute of it. And we thought if we stayed in the stadium longer, we wouldn’t run into any crowds. We were wrong. There were so many people. And there is no good way to get out of Soldier Field and the museum campus. I had to look over several times to ensure I was still with my friend. So I couldn’t imagine walking with a child there. We also walked a good mile and a half before the crowd thinned out. And at that point, we walked the rest of the way to our hotel.
It Was the Ultimate Girls’ Trip I Didn’t Know I Needed
Thankfully, my friend thought to book a hotel before the tickets even went on sale. So, instead of driving back to Wisconsin after the show, we got ready for the concert and stayed overnight in Chicago. We had two other friends staying with us, who also had tickets to the show. I can’t remember the last time I got ready in a hotel room with a group of girlfriends for a fun night out. It was the kind of fun I didn’t know I needed. We arrived in Chicago early enough to grab lunch and rosé. Afterward, we walked back to the hotel, sipped champagne, listened to Taylor, and got ready for the concert.
I can’t remember the last time I got ready in a hotel room with a group of girlfriends for a fun night out. It was the kind of fun I didn’t know I needed.
Overall, I don’t regret my decision not to take my daughters to The Eras Tour. And they were excellent sports about it, being little Swifties in the making themselves. They both said how excited they were for me the morning of the concert. My oldest daughter helped me make friendship bracelets. And my youngest daughter helped bejewel my romper. I recorded their favorite songs. And they were so excited to watch the videos and had so many questions. I would love to take them to a Taylor Swift concert one day, but I’ll wait until they get a little older. Until then, we’ll be watching all the Netflix documentaries and video recaps.
