I don’t know if I could even begin to explain how much this tour means to me. I’ve done 5 out of 13 shows so far, having been to Manchester, Dublin and London, and those three weekends were some of the very best in my life.
Before the tour, my goal for myself was to try and maybe sing a little, as I have always been so anxious and self aware at concerts, meaning I just stand there so still, afraid to move. But after meeting Taylor, my confidence grew so so much after she reacted to my natural self so well. In January I saw Paramore and I just decided, screw it, it’s loud enough, I can just hum, no one will hear that. Then I sang quietly to a couple of songs, so that’s when I set my goal for tour to hopefully finally sing along to my idol. I sang every single world, every single night. A year ago I never would’ve though I would be capable of doing something even close to that. I still feel nervous about dancing, but I think I’m well on my way to doing so. The feeling of singing along to Taylor is a feeling like I’ve never felt before. It just felt so (BANG BANG) free? I felt right in my element, at home.
From Cyber Space To Physical Form
Another thing is all the people I met, whether we have been friends onilne for ages, or whether I met them for the first time through mutual friends. Again, before I met Taylor, I was awful at conversations. I couldn’t start them, maintain them and I was so worried about meeting my online friends because I was scared I wouldn’t be fun and I’d bore them away. Since meeting her, I have grown so much. I can start conversations with people at work, people who I don’t share a lot in common with. I’d met two other artists I love and I was able to tell them everything I wanted to. I had so many people I wanted to meet for the England and Ireland shows. The first person I met was Rachel @screamingswiftcolor in Manchester after years of knowing each other online and being in the same friend circle, and even having been next to each other before, but had somehow never met before. Somehow she seemed incredibly calm, knowing full well she was about to go and meet Taylor. We met again in London and I heavily regret that it took us like 4 years to meet because she is lovely.
Next I met Emma, @ileftmyscarfthere who I’ve also known for 4 years. I was probably most nervous about meeting her because we’ve had so many fun conversations before and I didn’t want to be lame in person, but we basically just transferred our conversations from the interweb to the real world and it was so fun talking to her and I think we hate ourselves for having forgotten to take a photo together, but hey, I guess that just means we have another excuse to meet again one day. (Hey @lordemusic come back to England/Scotland soon thanks)
So I’ve known @queennatvanlis for about 7/8 years. We came across each other on Twitter and somehow we ended up joking about me riding a red bicycle across the sea to Denmark? (I don’t know why either) We spent months Skypeing and playing video games together. Time happened and we didn’t talk so much for a while, but we never fell out of touch, and then she messages me saying how in two weeks, she’d be going to London, to see Taylor… In Right Pit… The same place where I would be for that night… AND WE SPENT ALMOST ALL DAY TOGETHER. She met my friends and we all hung out. It was her first time seeing Taylor, and what a night she chose. Right Pit meant Taylor was right in front of us, and then for the B Stage, we both went to the barrier and MAI TOUCHED TAYLORS HAND and I could not be happier for her. It may have been almost a decade, but it was well worth the wait. Again I hate that we didn’t take a picture together.
@incredibletaylorthings So Becky has been in our group chat on Facebook for a while, but I just didn’t really know anything about her, but oh my word is she one of the coolest people. As I said, I didn’t know anything about her, so unlike everyone else I met, I didn’t know what to expect, but we got along right away, maybe it’s because we both hid behind a tree to see how far Bethy would get down the road before she realised we stopped (it was so far by the way) As I would’ve expected myself to be, having never spoken to her before, I didn’t feel anxious or nervous around her at all, and that’s amazing for someone like me. She’s hilarious and my lame humour translates well with her and I’m so glad to have met her. She’s a cool person.
From Taylor’s Living Room To Stadium Shows
So as you’d expect, being at the London Secret Session was the most amazing experience of my life and one of the best things to come from it, along with confidence, is the people who were there that night. I didn’t get to speak to anyone new that night as I was so shy back then, but through our group chat, I have made some lovely friends. We are bound together by something so unique. Some of us got to meet in Manchester, a couple of us in Dublin and we had a big reunion in London.
@your-eyez-look-like-coming-home I don’t know if there was anyone who passed by us in London who didn’t know who Line was. Everyone seemed to know her and love her, and why wouldn’t they? Maybe it’s a Norwegian thing, but she is so full of excitement, positivity and glitter. We probably didn’t speak as much as we should have but there were so many people with us, and I mean, we are going to spend 2 weeks together watching Taylor in New York and Boston, and I cannot wait to share that experience with her, it’s going to be the BEST.
@goodgirlwhoshopeful India was the first Sessioner that I met, in Manchester and holy ground is she one of the absolute coolest women I know. I’ve been in awe of all her tour costumes. She and @enchantswift are the kind of people who you almost worry about meeting because you think they’re just too cool and amazing for you to be around and you don’t want to embarrass yourself in front if but they were both so incredibly lovely, kind and honestly their presence just made me feel so calm? Like, I went to the B stage without my main friends and I ended up stood next to them and I was so just relaxed. Their friendship is everything and I hope life treats them as well as they deserve to be.
@drivinthegetawaycar Liam. We used to speak a little on Twitter a few years ago. Then we ended up realising we were both at the SS and thankfully we reconnected since then because he is one of my highlights of this tour so far. He’s been at every show I’ve been to and the next show that I go to without him being somewhere near is going to be a sad night. We always seem to meet at the B stage, and if it wasn’t for him I probably wouldn’t have known to move when I did, and I wouldn’t have touched Taylor’s hand and have her recognise me. For someone that I met for the first time in Manchester, he feels like a friend I’ve had for years. He’s integrated into our friend group so well. Whenever Taylor leaves the first B stage, we always seem to end up sticking around together and having our own lil sing along to Blank Space. Thankfully all of this is so because I gotta spend 7 hours next to him on a plane to New York in a couple of weeks so…
There are so many other people too. @taylorsparklingswift One of the first people to make it to the meet up point at Wembley, so is also a lovely human person who I’m glad to have met and I wish I’d spoken to more. I hope life gives her good karma after the whole stupid Rule incident. @poptartswift It may have taken til the very last show of the England and Ireland leg of the tour, and it may have been brief, but I can confirm she is just as excitable as she is online. I wish my anxiety wasn’t so bad in pit before Taylor came on or else I’d have gone back with my friends to properly say hello, but I’m so happy for her to have finally seen Taylor live. @jackieswift It may have also been a short time meeting Jackie too but I’m so glad I spotted her walking back from the b stage, starting an impromptu mini SS meet up whilst Taylor made her way to the 2nd B stage. She also seems like such a cool and fun person. I know I probably sound like I’m just recycling compliments for people, but there are just so many wonderful people that Taylor has brought into my life. I also got to meet Juliette. I don’t think she has tumblr but i’m sure you still know who she is. We were both awkward but it was great to meet her too.
Here’s A Toast To My Best Friends
The reasons my life is as good as it is. My number one favourite thing about the England and Ireland shows were that for three consecutive weeks, I got to see pretty much all of my friends, and that meant everything to me. No one makes me happier than they do.
@2paperairplanesswift Firstly, I absolutely hate that life has dealt her absolute shit for this tour. If we could, we would all take the pain away from her and take it ourselves because there is no one who deserve happiness quite like she does. She is the glue that keeps our group together. She is the best person to talk to about anything. She won’t only comfort you, but she’ll set you straight and open your eyes. We got to spend the 2nd night in London together in pit, with all of our core group, and she absolutely bawled her eyes out at Angels (I’d advise you to read her post about why), and what followed was the best group hug between The Awesome Foursome. It was a visual representation of how we will always be there for each other, during the best of times and the lowest of lows. Without Lynsday, our lives would be shit. Simple as that. Dublin without her was sad, but I am happy we at least had London together, if we don’t get New York, Boston and Toronto.
@swiftedbethy13 So if you haven’t seen her latest news, I also advise you to go and read that. She IS the most excitable person I know, and it’s so infectious. There isn’t a time when I’ve been around her where I haven’t felt anything less than pure happiness. I am so proud of her for pushing herself to post herself singing, being who she truly is and not looking back for one second. Like with Line, everyone who meets her just seems to have the best time and I guess it’s a Norwegian thing? We met in Nashville and now we are about to head to America again for this tour, I cannot wait.
@dontblamemeg Our group might be a little quieter without her, but boy would it suck. She is hilarious, whether she intends to be, or whether she just says something that just sends everyone into laughter. Whenever we are together, the best Taylor stuff just seems to happen. We met her at Radio 1, we heard reputation at Taylor’s house together, we sat together when Taylor sang the whole album live for the first time and I finally got to let some sass out during London night 1 during some songs. I really wish she could come to America and Canada with us, but SHE FINALLY GOES TO AUSTRALIA.
Basically, The Awesome Foursome is life.
@justintheswift Justin has been at every city I’ve been to so far on tour and that continues in New York! He stayed at mine during Manchester and it was the best kick off to the tour. He is infectiously giddy and he makes everyone around him laugh. We weren’t meant to sit together until Dublin but a Uni friend hooked me up with Guest List tickets for Manchester night one and I got to spend my first ever floor show with Justin and it was a memorable night. I wish I could be as full of energy as him to be my best self on tour.
@glitter-maps RACHEL. There are zero words to accurately describe how much I love this woman. I’ve droned on about this so many times, but I went to the RED Tour alone and she and John were the people I met that day and they changed my life. She is SO SO lovely and adorable and she makes me so happy whenever we meet up. I’m mostly happy that Taylor did Manchester twice because it meant I got to see her twice. She has been there for me since we first became friends. She appreciates my shit jokes like no one else does and before I got all confident, she was the first woman I ever felt naturally comfortable around. I’m so glad she came back to England because Manchester would not have been half as fun without her.
@swiftiekingdom Sophie, another one of my favourite humans who I wish people could just understand how awesome she is. There is never a dull moment with her. She created Swiftie Meet Ups in the U.K and that is how me and my friends first came together. She is the only one in our group left to meet Taylor and there is nothing else that i want more than for her to meet Taylor. BUT SHE GOT TO TOUCH TAYLORS HAND IN LONDON AND I AM SO FUCKING HAPPY FOR HER. We finally got to have our dance party together at a Taylor show too and I hope we have so many more left to come. She also gave me my first glitter 13 on my hand.
As for the other people who I can’t tag on here… John, the guy who led to me knowing everyone that i do now. I wouldn’t have been led to the friends I have now and I am terrified by the thought of my life without them. Caroline, someone I went to school and college with. It was her first time seeing Taylor where she got to be her true Swiftie self, as her friends wouldn’t allow her to be. We had seats right in front of the stage and we decked our faces out in glitter, cat ears and 13′s. I am so happy she got to experience that night, and even better, she made eye contact with Taylor and that was everything to her.
So to finish, this has been the greatest time of my life. I will forever be grateful to Taylor for bringing the best people into my life, and for giving me the confidence boost I needed to become my best self and for always being there when she doesn’t even know it. She is everything that is good in my life and I can’t wait to experience the reputation Stadium Tour 8 more times in America and Canada where I get to meet some of my most favourite people that I’ve known for years. I’ll meet my first ever Twitter follower from 2009 in Toronto, I’ll meet one of my favourite Americans in New Jersey and so many other new friends across all three shows. But before that, I also get to meet my longest distance friend, the amazing @that-good-girl-faith-13 in Manchester. This really is the best 2 months I could ever have imagined.
And to think I’d never been on the floor before this tour. I GOT TO BE THIS CLOSE AND HEAR TAYLOR STRUMMING HER GUITAR WITHOUT A SPEAKER.
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