This weekend was one of the best weekends of my life and let me you tell you why… I saw Taylor Swift. Yes, you read that right. I saw Taylor Swift (my idol, for the fourth time may I add and it was magical.)

I got tickets way before when they first went on sale with the portal thing that Taylor had for verified fan tickets. When I got the tickets, it was sooo nerve wracking honestly. It was hell basically. I didn’t know where I wanted to sit so I had my Mom with me looking to see where the best seats were. We eventually picked Section 13 Row 1, Seats 1 and 2 and they were part of the Big Reputation VIP Package. I was so excited I finally get to see Taylor since 2015!

A few months later, we were planning my 21st birthday and sadly, most of my friends were going away (because it’s in August) so my Mom was like “Why don’t you and your friends go to the Taylor concert with you for your birthday?” I was like “Sure!” It sounds like it would be sooo much fun. We got 3 other tickets like 3 rows away and my Mom gave her ticket to my cousin who was also coming to the concert as well.

FYI, tickets for this tour were/are SOOO expensive. It’s actually insane so just be warned and bare in mind if you want to go to on future dates of the reputation tour. After months and months of waiting, it was finally the day. My mom, friends, cousin and I were so excited because my Mom had got a hotel room for all of us cause the last time we got home from Taylor’s concert, we didn’t get home until 3 am because of stadium traffic.

We left with a car service around 12:30pm and my cousin was going to meet us there since she already lives in Jersey and lives an hour away from the stadium. We got to the hotel around 2:30 (if I recall correctly) and the rooms were really nice. We were right across from each other, my Mom had a room and the girls and I had a room as well. We stayed at the Marriott Residence Inn which was like a 3 minute ride from the stadium.

Since I was the only one with a Camila Cabello meet and greet, we had to leave for the stadium early. Check in was between 4:15 and 4:45pm. We got there around 4:00pm and we figured we wouldn’t be seperated for that long since the doors for the stadium didn’t open until 5:00pm.

The only thing was, I had to go to the Bud Light gate, which was like on the opposite of the SAP gate where the floor seats were, which is what my friends and I had. We didn’t have much time to spare so we were literally walking as fast as we can because there was a bunch of security in one area and we were wondering if we wondering if we can go through that area. We were walking around amisly for a while, not really sure where to go. But we eventually found it. I was definitely thankful and all I had to go was show my ID and the woman at the check in desk that was outside, gave me my lanyard and I went to the back of the line.

My friends waited until I went inside. They scanned my ticket early (which was only on the phone for some reason, which I’m still surprised about). I had gotten the light up bracelet before hand as well which was pretty cool. It was around 5:15 when they started letting us actually inside.

We waited a while in line for a while before the line actually started to move. We weren’t allowed our phones in but I put mine in my shorts because I was wearing them that day. I turned the microphone on so I could record the audio of our conversation incase I forgot it. (Side note, it’s all muffled and very low which sucks but oh well.)

When it was finally my turn, I was so nervous yet excited because I finally get to have a conversation with her instead of just a hug and a goodbye. I had met her prior to Fifth Harmony and when she had a signing in NYC a long while back. I said “Hi Camila!” “Hi! What’s your name?” “My name is Zoe, I’ve met you before!” “Oh really? What’s your shirt?” She had asked and I had made a shirt for the concert saying “Why?… Oh? Cause she’s dead!” And on the back I had “Shaking off 20 and feeling 21” “That’s so cute, I love it!” “It’s for my early 21st birthday which is why I have the 21 in the back.” “Happy birthday! Should we take a picture?” “Of course!” And we took this really cute hugging pose and she said “It was so nice meeting you Zoe!” And I was like dying on the inside because she finally knew my name and she wished me happy birthday and just gahhh. I love her so much. I don’t remember what I said afterwards but I was like “You too, I love you Camila!”

I was freaking out as I left and got my stuff and went to go find my friends at my seat. I told them what happened. (Also one of my favorite meet and greet photos besides my one with Taylor haha.)

They were so happy for me and I was freaking out so much. My friends and I weren’t sure where I wasn’t going to sit for the show but then a random security guard came over to us and I was so confused as to why but then he said “You guys are sitting in a lucky row! I’ll come back later and tell you.” And we were surrounding section 13 around the time. We were all looking at each other confused. Before the show started, we were wondering what that was about but he never came back so it was like a mystery to us (LOL.)

So I was like… ok I guess I’m sitting here then haha. I sat with my cousin and of course then I realized that I left my vip lanyards in my bag in the hotel room and I was so sad I forgot them but we had the light up wristbands anyway so it wasn’t that big of a deal. We had all brought poncho’s just incase because it was said to be pouring later that night but during the opening acts, thankfully, it wasn’t raining at the time. Before the opening acts, we went to get merch and stuff and the lines were so long it was insane. We also went to get food because we barely had anything to eat before the concert. Also, I knew that her guitarist, Paul Sidoti walked around before the concert started and before Charli went on, my friend pointed out that there was a guy taking pictures with everyone while we were getting food and stuff like that or something, I don’t really remember. I literally ran to the section he was in and ran past security and I was like omg, a member of the Agency is standing right in front of me.

I was like “Hi, I love you so much! I can’t wait for the show!” And he was like “Thank you so much!” And I asked a girl next to me to take picture of us and it honestly came out really well and I was so happy. I wish I had something for him to sign since I didn’t realize he was giving autographs since he had a sharpie in his hand but oh well. I’ve wanted to meet Paul and/or Amos for the longest time since they are the original members of Taylor’s band and I was so happy everything was so much fun and amazing. He was walking around the left side of the stage in around in between section 3 or 4 or something like that.

My friends and I knew more of Charli XCX’s songs then we thought and she was actually killing it on stage. Camila also killed it but I don’t think my friends liked her that much (which I mean, it’s their opinion and they believed that she was lip syncing. I could be baised and didn’t think she was but being in Fifth Harmony, I wouldn’t be surprised. I would be surprised if she was lip syncing on one of the biggest tours she was opening for but oh well.

Taylor came on about around 8:45pm or so. Just so you know… her entrance was FREAKING LIT. I don’t want to spoil anything for those who haven’t gone yet but you are in for the ride of your life. The only thing that was really freaking annoying was the people walking back and forth CONSTANTLY. By constantly, I mean, throughout the entire concert. It was so freaking annoying and when people were walking by my section they were probably just like “Oh, this is a good view, I’ll just stay here.”

But that was the wrong move for people standing in front of me. I literally tapped a girl on the shoulder so hard because I was so pissed and I was like “Excuse me, I can’t see, can you move?!” In like the rudest way possible on purpose so that she could move. Eventually she did and security was kicking people out if they didn’t belong in their section and at least they were doing their job.

During a random song, I think was during Gorgeous or Love Story or something, a person walked past my cousin and I and we were both dancing and going so hard. A person walked past us and held his hand out and all the sudden, I notice that it was PAPA SWIFT. IT WAS HIM AND I WAS FREAKING OUT. He handed my cousin and I guitar picks and I was like “This tour, I’m meeting Papa Swift and getting picks from him this tour.” AND IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. I literally shoved the pick into my bag before I lost it and was freaking out the whole time. He wore a cute little yellow rain coat as he was walking down the isle where a bunch of other people were walking and other people barely noticed him. My cousin was confused but I was like “THATS PAPA SWIFT. HE JUST GAVE US PICKS. OH MY GOD!”

Also throughout the concert, I was screaming my head off and it was pouring rain. My hair was SOAKED and I was flipping it back and forth and honestly it was so much fun. I don’t know what came over me but when Bad Blood/Should’ve Said No mashup came on, I was screaming the lyrics SOOOO loud and obnoixous and I was literally having the time of my life. A guy that walked past me was like “YAS. You go girl!” And high fived me and my cousin and I couldn’t stop laughing. When Taylor flied over to the first B-Stage during Delicate, she went to sing Dancing With Our Hands Tied acoustic (which was amazing by the way.)

She then started singing her surprise song of the night WHICH WAS FEARLESS. I saw so many people online (twitter and tumblr) and she actually sang it! I was screaming so loud the security guard teasingly said to me “Can you repeat that? I don’t think I heard you.” Then I screamed even louder haha. It was great. And she really did sing in a storm in her best dress, fearless <3.

Also what was really stupid is when people kept walking back and forth, they kept blocking people from walking back to their section because after the first b-stage, she would walk through the crowd with the barricade towarsd the next b-stage and either people didn’t know and they were just walking around. Or people knew and they were trying to get to the b-stage. I didn’t even bother cause like there were so many people already there it was insane. But when they blocked people from walking back and forth, there were people literally on top of me and while Taylor was talking, I turned around and said to the woman behind me “Excuse me, can you move? Your literally on top of me and my cousin.” And she was like “If I could I would.” And then a few moments later she did and I rolled my eyes cause clearly she had enough space to move around. It was hard because it was pouring and everything around you was wet, including people so it was just a mess.

But also during Blank Space, I also went really hard haha. In the section next to me, which was section 12, a girl next to me was really drunk and was dancing up and down the isle and I couldn’t help but laugh. But when she came over to me, we were dancing together and I wish someone got it on camera because it was honestly so funny and fun at the same time, it was great.

Before the concert even ended, my friends tried getting an Uber to get back to our hotel but they couldn’t even access it because the app broke down because 56,000 people were trying to get Uber’s at the same time. Around 10:40pm, the concert ended and we tried to leave as quick as we can so we can get a car ride back to the hotel.

My Mom told us to go in Lot D, where Uber pick up was. But we tried to get an uber sooo many times and nothing was working. There were so many people pushing each other and it was pouring so nothing really helped. I didn’t wear a poncho because I didn’t wear it during the concert so I didn’t think there was any point of it.

We tried getting a ride for TWO… HOURS. We didn’t get back to the hotel until 12:40pm. We had to call the hotel to get a car service and the guy driving said it took him an 1 and 30 minutes just to get to where we were. It was totally inside and we were honestly so tired and standing in the rain for hours on end. It was so unorganized that we were standing in a parking lot for hours. We honestly though of taking a shuffle back to NYC just to get an uber ride back to our hotel.

My Mom definitely regrets not booking a car that would stay there and wait for us till the concert ended so we wouldn’t have to get home (to the hotel) at 1:00am. She felt so bad that we had to wait in the rain, even after the concert, for 2 hours and standing for so many hours before that at the concert. We were soaked and completely drenched. But otherwise, I did get some great pictures EVEN in the rain. It was definitely an experience I’ll never forget but please, get a car in WAY advance if your going by Uber or drive there your self. Definitely get a hotel room though, it is definitely worth it. Also below, are some pictures I took of Taylor during the concert!

(Also by the way, the doors to the stadium open at 5:00pm. Concert starts at 7:00pm right away and Camila’s set ends around 8:30pm. Taylor goes on around 8:40,8:45pm.) Hope you guys enjoy your future rep tour concerts! Just take my advice yall on getting a ride before hand and getting a car service in advance or drive there yourself. Congrats on reading the whole thing! Thanks for reading my blog post! 😀

Also here’s my picture with Paul Sidoti and guitar pick from Papa Swift! 😀

–Zoe 😀 ❤