Wow, wow, wow! April absolutely flew by with something going on every week. I worked on DIY projects, freelance shoots, saw one of my brothers for the first time in 3 years, and got to meet his baby. However, the biggest highlight of course was seeing BTS in Las Vegas.
I spent the first week of April preparing for the Vegas trip by making my outfit (inspired by Becky G in Chicken Noodle Soup), and packing freebies to hand out. As per usual I underestimated how much time and energy DIYs can take. By the skin of my teeth I had something to wear and stuff to hand out. The week of my Vegas departure was busy with freelance shoots for most of the week. I left one shoot early to make my way to Logan airport with my Vegas crew – Linna, Kunthy and Steve. Considering I had gone with Linna to Los Angeles for BTS a few months ago, I thought I knew what to expect with the Las Vegas stop. But I should have known – it is impossible to ever be fully prepared for a BTS event.
In addition to the concerts (which were as amazing as always), there were several Permission to Dance sponsored events which made the Vegas weekend a whole festival-like experience. There was a pre-fixe meal of Korean food at one of the Mandalay Bay restaurants, a museum type exhibit of behind the scenes photos, and a pop-up shop with music video sets recreated. These events really brought the BTS experience to life on another level and offered more opportunities for armys to come together and appreciate BTS with one another.
During the Los Angeles stop of the PTD ‘tour,’ I received several freebies from other armys, and I wanted to contribute/ give back to the army community during the Las Vegas stop by making/giving out my own freebies. It’s the kpop version of trick-or-treating, and it’s a really fun part of the concert experience. I’ve even kept in contact with several armys I’ve met through exchanging freebies.
One of the highlights of freebies and friendships from this Las Vegas trip was meeting three Korean armys who flew over from Busan. I met them during the concert as they were sitting behind me and helped them pair their army bombs to their seats. We exchanged social media, have kept in contact, and are planning to meet up again in Korea later this year.
I always find it hard to put my feelings into words when it comes to BTS, their concert experience, and the army community… Being a part of that purple ocean and army bomb wave during the concert gives me butterflies of excitement and belonging. I think the only people who really “get it” are the ones in the audience with me, whether it’s in person, at home live-streaming, or living vicariously through Twitter and TikTok fancams.
I am so grateful for the entire experience of BTS – the quality music and messages they put out, the way they’ve impacted my life/view of myself, and especially the armys I’ve met so far, and will continue to meet.
Until next month,
nilandaxo