An Epic Trip with my Baby ARMY
Have you ever experienced something so epic, you couldn’t find the words to convey the event? When people ask you, “How was it?”, all you can say is, “Amazing…” while you sigh and stare off, remembering what happened and how it made you feel. This happened to us last week as we attended “Permission To Dance On Stage - Las Vegas”.
Get To Know Us
Hey there, ARMY, I’m Marcie, aged 46, and a teacher by day. I’ve been working with ARMY Magazine since December 2018, after becoming an ARMY back in June. My daughter Halen is 17 and finishing her senior year in high school. She has been an ARMY since May 2018.
Halen was finishing 8th grade, and the moment she discovered BTS via YouTube, she fell hard and fast for them. Her first BTS video was Blood, Sweat and Tears. I remember when she started talking to me about them, and how it just. Never. Stopped. One day, she came to me and asked about seeing them at a concert. I said, “If you are still into them Senior year, we will go.” She promptly told me she wasn’t in a phase; she would be ARMY for life. Boy, how right she was!
In the meantime, I realized I had a decision to make. If Halen really was going to get this into something, I needed to have a working knowledge of that subject. In American culture, it’s normal for teen girls and their mothers to begin growing apart around this time. Would I learn about this whole BTS thing, or would I lose my daughter? In no way was I prepared for that to happen. It wasn’t even a choice!
While she spent time volunteering, I absorbed as much content as I could. I couldn’t tell them apart at first, other than Jungkook, who Halen had declared as her bias (what did that even mean??) and RM, who spoke English. After watching several official MVs, I still didn’t have the members down. Then, I finally stumbled upon the interview which would become my favorite: People NOW’s Confess Sesh. Not only did it help me learn more about BTS and distinguish them from one another, but it also helped me choose my bias. There was no going back now; I had officially joined my daughter in the ranks.
How It All Came Together
It’s now February 2022 and BTS has just announced the Las Vegas dates. My heart begins to flutter when I realize the dates are during spring break… and we have family in Vegas. Wait, could this be it?!
I text my cousin, who instantly writes back with, “OMG yes! Come see me, stay with us, I’ll drive you around everywhere! We will send money to help!” I start to cry and say out loud to nobody, “This might actually happen this time.” Then my rational side kicks in: hang on, there is still so much to work out. I have to speak with my husband, figure out which dates we want, book flights, and enter the Hunger Games. All of us decide to not tell Halen – not until we secure everything.
After telling my husband everything, he says, “It will be her everything-in-2022 gift, you know that, right?” I tell him, “Yes I know, it will count for her senior trip, graduation gift, 18th birthday gift, all of it.” He says yes. Phew, that’s done!
We choose a date (D4), look at flights, and check out the seating chart. I sign up for an ARMY Membership and request the presale code. I receive the presale code; one step closer.
The next day, I settle in for a long journey of sitting at the computer in our basement, watching the purple orb as it slowly moves across my screen. An hour in, the screen changes and I am now another step closer. Within just a few minutes, I’m moved from the lobby into the “room” where I can choose tickets. But there’s a problem. While I’d already saved my credit card info, I forgot I’d need the 3-digit code on the back of my card! Ugh, why didn’t I think of that?
I scream for someone to throw my wallet to me. They don’t hear me. I bang on the wall and scream even louder. Of course, Halen is the only one who hears me. “I NEED MY WALLET!” I scream at her. “Why,” she wants to know. “Don’t ask why, just do it!” I run back to the desktop and punch in my number.
“Sorry, another fan got your seats while you were checking out.”
I start to shake and try again. I choose new seats, punch in my 3-digit code, and SUCCESS!
After calling a friend, I managed to stop crying, pull myself together, and join my family upstairs. I secretly nod to my husband, and then try to act like nothing happened when the reality was… I JUST SCORED TICKETS TO BTS!
Confession Time and The Trip Ahead
To tell Halen, I cut up the confirmation into puzzle pieces and had her put them together. She didn’t get it at first; it was just too much to process. When she did, we both started crying.
The trip and concert was more than we both dreamed. We visited the pop-ups at both Area 15 and MGM Grand, spent an entire day Namjooning with another member of ARMY Magazine, had some delicious Korean food, and shopped at KoreaTown Plaza.
Seeing BTS live for the first time was something we will never forget. Everything we’d come to expect from BTS was right there in front of us. It was glorious. I have to tell you, though, the show itself would have been nothing without my little girl. This is our thing. It has been our journey together, and we have bonded over BTS like nothing before. Halen’s right – we are ARMY for life, but only because we are in it together.
Written by: Marcie and Halen B.
Edited by: Dae
Designed by: Martina
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