Believe it or not, I do go on trips in which the Backstreet Boys or the University of Kentucky are not directly involved. I know, shocker right! After the 2011 Backstreet Boys Cruise, there were no Backstreet plans in the works for 2012 (they did add stuff in the summer and in December but we did not know about that stuff until later). Me and my group of friends were sad because we did not think we were going to be able to see each other in 2012. We fixed that by planning a girl's weekend in Washington D.C. in June, where one of the girls resides (or as Nick likes to say, resigns). There were no Backstreet events that we would be attending. We were going to just have a good time by being together. Now, I'm not saying that Backstreet was not discussed because it was...A LOT. However, it would be the first time we were all together in which we wouldn't actually be seeing the Backstreet Boys. We were just a "normal" group of girls getting together to have a girl's weekend, a weekend of laughter and companionship.
I needed this girl's weekend badly. Even though I had just been to see the UK Baseball team play in their Regionals the weekend before (and the girls heard plenty of my new love of Corey Littrell), work had not been going well. A few short months before, I had been working 60 hours a week at a job that I really had not cared for. I had been having a lot of issues with my back from the stress and my depression was getting very bad. This trip was planned to happen after school let out, before I would have to start in the summer program just a few short days later. I knew that the stress free environment of being with my girls would help me relax so that I could start the summer session of work off right. School ended on Wednesday, June 6th and I flew out on Thursday, June 7th...I was wasting no time to get out of this place.
Beautiful sites to start the weekend
Thursday, June 7, 2012 - I could tell that the weekend was going to be great even before I landed in DC thanks to the gorgeous view outside my airplane window of the clouds. Laura picked me up from the airport after she got off work, we grabbed a bite to eat, and went to her parent's house (where we were lucky enough to be staying for the weekend). The other girls had to work that day so we had to wait around for them to make their road trip from Jersey. Once they got there at around 11:30pm thanks to some traffic, it was as if we had all never been apart. I guess when you exchange e-mails everyday (sometimes upwards of 100), it is as if you were never apart. We spent the evening watching Backstreet Boys videos the old school way...on VHS. I think that you can guarantee that every current Backstreet Boys fan still has a VCR in their home to watch these old school appearances. We saw about a million performances of "Quit Playing Games" and discussed how the guys' looks have evolved over the years...except for Brian (although there was a discussion at some point about his "long" hair...you know that like one inch longer it was during the Black and Blue era). The funniest thing we watched had to have been commercial break intros on Fox Kids that the guys had filmed at a theme park. We could not stop laughing and had to even watch some of the segments over again (and then watch the whole thing over again the next night when Cort was with us). We finally went to bed at around 3am. It truly was like high school all over again and I loved every second of it.
Me and Anne Marie at the Air and Space Museum
Friday, June 8, 2012 - After a late night, we got up the next morning and made our way to the train to go into the city. The plan for the day was to hit up some of the Smithsonian museums since Cort wasn't with us. Our first stop was the Air and Space Museum. It was cool seeing all of the old planes but the space portions were my favorite. We played a trivia game and none of us were very good at it. We also did a survey to see what occupation we would have on the space shuttle. I don't remember mine for sure but I'm pretty sure it was along the lines of an educator...imagine that.
Next up was the museum of American History. I enjoyed this museum because we seemed to have the most fun here. We got to play with Mr. Potato Heads, Slinkies, and Etch-A-Sketches. We were transported back to a simpler time as we played with the toys...as if staying up until 3am the night before hadn't made us already feel like we were in high school again.
Fun with toys!
More fun with toys!
Next, we left our marks in the museum. Patrons were provided with large dry erase boards to create their own comic book style super heroes (Superman's costume was displayed in this area and was obviously the concept behind the interactive display). We all know the Backstreet Boys do, in fact, have their own comic book thanks to a collaboration with Stan Lee (The Backstreet Project), in which they are superheroes (as Nick so happily reminded us on the cruise that he was a Ninja!). So, Ash recreated those Backstreet superheroes with our own little twist. We wanted the public to have as much fun with BSB as we do! After leaving that trademark, as well as some others, we continued through the museum. Nothing was going to beat the fun that we had had in that room.
Leaving my Wildcat mark while showing my Backstreet pride with my BSB t-shirt
Keep The Backstreet Pride Alive!
Ash and her Super Backstreet Boys
While we had the most fun playing, the most interesting educational display in the Museum of America History was "The Star-Spangeled Banner" display. Here, the original flag that inspired our national anthem is displayed. Due to the fragile condition of the flag, flash photography was not allowed in this particular display and there was special lighting. I found the facts listed fascinating and I learned some new things that I had not known. Like the rest of the day, we had to wait for Ash to finish reading every single word on every single plaque before we could move on (#BlameAsh). We love Ash.
It was time to call it a day and head to the airport to pick up Cort (I thought it was very awesome that we were able to do that by the train...how convenient). We headed back to Laura's parents and commenced with our Backstreet sleepover rituals. You know its not a Backstreet sleepover without Backstreet videos but we decided to add a little more to the party with Backstreet dance class. Thanks to some previous dancers in our group, the rest of us got some teaching on some of the easier Backstreet dances. Level One was "Shape of My Heart" and we all got that one pretty easily as it really just entails making a heart shape with your hands. We were awesome! Level Two brought us "Bigger" and "I Want It That Way." We were pretty good at those and even broke them out for the Atlantic City and Bethlehem, PA shows a few weeks ago...after plenty of practice throughout this weekend in DC, as you will later read about and see. It was another late night for us when we finally went to bed around 4am. We're rock stars apparently.
Saturday, June 9, 2012 - We got a later start this morning than we had the previous morning...I have no idea why (said sarcastically). On this day, we were going to hit up all of the important landmarks in DC since our entire group was together now. We started at the Supreme Court building and then made our way over to the Capitol Building, where we did a tour.
Supreme Court Building
Capitol Building
On our tour in the Capitol Building
Me and my man, Henry Clay, from Kentucky
We then made our way down to the White House, where we just had to admire it from afar.
The closest we were able to get to the White House...its way back there
Thank goodness for the zoom on a camera
It was very hot that day and we decided that we needed to find some shade in which to cool off. After finding a bench under a tree, we began to get a little ridiculous. Cort and Ash started doing their fancy dance moves, which then turned into more Backstreet dance class. There we were, on the sidewalk in front of the White House, dancing to the Backstreet music inside our heads.
What started as just dancing in front of the White House turned into...
Backstreet Dance Class!....Level One - "Shape of My Heart"
Level Two (Part One) - "Bigger"
Level Two (Part Two) - "I Want It That Way"
Then, Backstreet dance class turned into New Kids on the Block dance class, which none of us needed to be trained in since their moves have been around forever and are quite simple.
Then came New Kids on the Block dance class - "The Right Stuff"
More of "The Right Stuff"
We spent a good amount of time under that tree laughing and having a good time before we moved on with our site seeing. The Washington Monument was next on our list.
Washington Monument
After the Washington Monument we decided to head towards the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials. However, we were hot and they were a long way off. So, we admired them from afar and decided that we needed to get inside some air conditioning.
Lincoln Memorial
Jefferson Memorial
Just a photo I like of me in a cool tree
It was off to the Museum of Natural History for us to cool off. The rocks and minerals portion of this museum was my favorite part because there was some really cool stuff there.
We then decided to call it a day in the city and headed back home, where we had dinner. I can't even begin to describe in words the fun that commenced after dinner. We went to this place that does private karaoke. There are these little rooms that you go into and that is where you and your friends do your singing. We had the room for about an hour and sang nothing but Backstreet Boys! There were five of us...there are five Backstreet Boys. I'm sure you can guess what that meant...we each picked a guy and sang his parts...I was Brian. We incorporated our Backstreet dance class into our singing sessions but there wasn't a lot of room to move around in. There was alot of jumping around, singing loudly (and poorly), dancing, and photo taking. The photos got a little silly after awhile as we just started shooting random shot after random shot. I'm sure I wasn't the only one but I remember being incredibly warm and sweaty from all of the dancing and jumping around. I wouldn't be surprised if people heard us outside our little room and in the rooms that surrounded us.
We didn't even really need the words on the tv screen but for those songs that have music videos, the videos were played. Why wouldn't we look at those handsome men on that TV screen? As if we weren't having enough fun, the completely wrong words would come up on the screen...words that didn't even make sense. More laughter would ensue.
Really? Drying out my battery is low??? EPIC FAIL.
And who can tell me what is wrong with this picture???
We were only in the room for a little less than an hour but the time went by way to quickly and it was over before we knew it. When our hour was up, we still a whole list of Backstreet songs we hadn't even sung yet! I wished we could have had at least another hour in that room. It was totally the highlight of the entire weekend!
We headed back to Laura's parents for our last night all together (the Jersey girls were all leaving the next day and I was going to be staying one more night). I had forgotten my cell phone when we had left that morning and saw that I had a voice mail waiting for me when we returned. It was my husband and the message was to tell me that he had been laid off...again (for the 4th time in two years). I was upset and the girls immediately rushed to my side and embraced me with the biggest hugs. In a way I was grateful that I had forgotten my phone because if I would have received that news during the day, I would not have been able to enjoy myself as I had. Since this was my husband's fourth layoff in two years, we had become experts at building up an emergency fund and I realized quickly that we were going to be okay. After the initial sadness, I decided to not let it ruin my last night the whole group would be together. A few drinks and some laughter later, I had forgotten all about the news. The Backstreet videos chosen for that evening consisted of our YouTube videos from the 2011 Cruise. It is at this moment that the word "betterly" entered our vocabulary thanks to Brian during the "In It To Win It" game show. His team didn't play differently than the other team...they played betterly. We were also reminded how Nick "was a NINJA!" Also, there was more talk of Brian's sparkly blue eyes....oh those eyes.
This was actually an early evening for us...2:30am. We had had a day full of fun and we were totally tuckered out.
Sunday, June 10, 2012 - Sunday was bittersweet because we were together but it was going to be our last day together. We headed to Georgetown where we were going to visit DC Cupcakes, which is featured on TLC and explore the town. However, not only was Sunday bittersweet but it was HOT! There was a very long line outside of the cupcake shop and there was no shade to be found. We were roasting in the hot sun and decided that we were going to get our cupcakes and go back home! I hoped the cupcakes were going to be worth melting in the hot sun for....they totally were. They were the best cupcakes I've ever eaten...but I haven't really eaten cupcakes that didn't come from a box or grocery chain. I had gotten four cupcakes (two for me and two to take home to my husband). I ate my two right away...my husband was lucky his made it all the way home because I heavily debated breaking into them at the airport the next day. After we were done with our delicious cupcakes, the three Jersey girls decided to hit the road. We said our goodbyes, thinking it was going to be the last time we were going to see each other for the year (several of them later got to go to some other events together and then we all reunited in December for our AC and PA BSB shows).
After the girls left, Laura and I took it easy and just hung out and talked until we were ready for dinner. We went to go eat and then walked around this small pond, continuing with our chatting away. It was a pretty early night since Laura would be dropping me off at the airport before she went to work the next morning.
Monday, June 11, 2012 - I was dropped off at the airport in the morning but had plenty of time to kill before my flight left. I spent some time uploading all of my photos and had some lunch at Chipotle. It was funny because it seemed as if we had had a type of Mexican food (Tex Mex, Mexican American, etc.) for several different meals throughout the weekend so there was a running joke that DC must be the place to go for Mexican. I was once again doing that. The trip home was pretty uneventful and I had one or two days off to catch up on some much needed sleep before I needed to report back to work to get ready for our summer session. It was truly a great weekend since I got to go to a place I had never been and got to spend time with friends that I love. It showed me that we didn't need actual Backstreet events in order to have a good time because we could make our own good times.
*Title Credit - "Bigger" - This Is Us - Backstreet Boys
While 2012 was the year of very few Backstreet events, my University of Kentucky events were plentiful. Not only were there many of them, but there were new University of Kentucky experiences. In 2012, I developed a greater University of Kentucky love...for their baseball team.
When I became a fan of the University of Kentucky, it was because of their basketball team. Then, I fell in love with the school in general...which included ALL athletics that come with it, including the not so great football season we have had this year. The UK baseball team was no different in getting my attention but this year my attention was on it a little more than in past years. I mean, I've always been a baseball fan, having grown up going to White Sox games, practicing with my brother's Little League, and playing softball myself. It was only obvious that I be a fan of the baseball team at the University of Kentucky, also referred to as the Bat Cats. However, there was one thing that drew me closer to following the team a little more closely and that was the fact that they had a player with the same last name as my favorite Backstreet Boy....Littrell. I did my research and discovered that Corey Littrell was from Louisville, Kentucky and I began to really wonder whether the two were related or not. This past year, Corey was a sophomore and I had seen him on the roster as a freshman. With me not being on Twitter yet during his freshman year, it was harder for me to follow the program as a whole, as well as the individual players. The more I followed the team, the more I began to wonder whether there was any relation at all. So I did what any rational person would do....I tweeted Corey to ask him and told him that it would be a pretty cool thing if they were since they were both from Kentucky and Brian is a Wildcats fan. I really didn't expect to get a response back because I was a complete stranger asking a college student a strange question (I was joking about the "rational person" in the previous sentence).
His response to me was when I made the discovery that the baseball team was much more accessible to their fans than in other Kentucky sports and that they try to interact with them often. Corey tweeted me back stating that he wasn't sure whether or not they were related but he believed that they had to be somewhere down the line since they were both from Kentucky. We then actually had a mini conversation about it after I asked him if he'd ever been asked that question before. I wasn't sure if he had since he was born in 1992. That would put him in elementary school when they were at the height of their careers. I had actually been afraid that he didn't even know who the Backstreet Boys were. He told me that he had been asked that question but he'd never done research into it. It was really at that moment that I was completely hooked on University of Kentucky baseball....because one person took the time out of his life to respond to me. I fangirled a lot that day and even told him that Robin Ventura (my favorite baseball player growing up and my first ever celebrity crush) better watch out for the running of my favorite ball player. Corey had a good laugh and told me that Robin had a few years on him. So now I had discussed two of my favorite guys with Corey, Brian and Robin. How could he not become my favorite Bat Cat at that moment?
I continued to follow the season through the many online resources I had...and what an amazing season it was for them. When it came time to announce the hosts for the 2012 NCAA Regionals, the Big Blue Nation became very upset when the Wildcats didn't get selected to host at a regional site even though they should have with the season they had. I had discovered, though, that Purdue University would be hosting a regional in Gary, Indiana...just a short 35-40 minute drive from me. I had not been able to make it down to Lexington for a baseball game so I hoped I would be lucky enough that UK would get selected to be in the Gary Regional. In fact, I was so excited about this prospect that I actually watched the selection show online so that I could hear the news as it was announced. I don't know about you but I don't know of anyone else personally that does something like that. I mean other than the players and their families, who watches a selection show for the NCAA Regionals? Me, apparently. I literally jumped out of the bed I was laying on when it was announced that the University of Kentucky Wildcats would be playing in the Gary Regionals. I was so excited! I was finally going to get to see the team I had fallen more in love with quickly play in person...and hopefully meet Corey if I got lucky.
I bought the tickets as soon as they went on sale, two tickets for each of the games. The tickets were cheap and I knew I could find someone to go with me for the games, especially since I was going to be right behind the dugout. Well, I was wrong on that account, once again, as everyone I knew that might have wanted to go had other commitments. Seriously though....I need to find more Wildcat fans in my area that want to travel to this stuff with me. I also made sure to let every single Bat Cat I followed on Twitter know that I was going to be there to cheer them on!
Me at the UK v. Kent State game
The first game was on a Friday night, a pretty cold Friday night considering it was June 1st. Kentucky was going to be playing Kent State and was the first game of the evening....and what a game it was! This game ended up going 21 innings....you read that right TWENTY ONE! This marathon of a game was the second longest game in the history of NCAA tournament play and the longest game in Southeastern Conference history. This game was equivalent to playing two complete games, plus some and lasted 6 hours and 37 minutes, seeing a total of 38 hits with 43 runners left on base.
AJ Reed
I was the most impressed with fellow Indiana native, AJ Reed, who started the game as the designated hitter, was put in at first base when our first basemen (Luke Maile) injured his hamstring, and then pitched 9 innings in relief (that's equivalent to pitching one full game). I'm sure every single one of those guys had to be just tired. What I later found out was that the thing that bothered a lot of them the most was that they were really hungry...I mean that had probably gone 7+ hours without any real food in them.
Michael Williams after catching a ball in the throat
I also have to give major props to their catcher, Michael Williams (who was also born and raised in Indiana but I'm not sure for how long before his family moved to Knoxville, TN), who caught every single inning of that game and every single inning of the next three games, as well. I used to catch and I know what a toll catching for that many innings can put on a person's body. It's not always the most comfortable position to play but he showed the strength he needed to get through it.
21 of the 27 Wildcats on the roster saw playing time in this game (the other six were pitchers that needed to be saved for the rest of the weekend), as both teams tried everything in their power to come out ahead in the end. And while the Bat Cats were battling to go into the winners bracket, they still seemed to be having fun. We got some dancing outside the dugout by the gusy and they tried every rally cap imaginable....
Original Rally Cap - hat on inside out
Hat backwards...and my favorite photo of the entire weekend (some even say
he looks like a young Brian Littrell from this angle)
Whatever this is...
My favorite of the rally caps...although I'm still trying to figure
out who it is
The Wildcats ended up falling to Kent State, 7-6...but it wasn't for a lack of trying and fighting. I fell even more in love with this team on that night because of their hard work and determination, while still understanding that it is a game and one is supposed to have fun while playing it. I tweeted Corey that night to tell him this and he thanked me, as well as complimented me on the photos I took during the game.
Now mind you, there was still another game to be played that evening between Purdue University and Valparaiso University (both based here in Indiana). Needless to say, their game did not start on time and, yes, I did stay to see Valparaiso lose to Purdue. I did not leave the ball park until 1am. Now, I'm not sure how familiar my readers are with Gary, Indiana but when the team uses #SurviveGary (as in survive the city, as well as the tournament) as one of its hashtags for the weekend on Twitter, you know its not the best place to be (it was ranked the 10th most dangerous city in the U.S. in 2006). This is especially true at the hour that we were all leaving the ball park. You better believe I was on high alert as I left the ball park with everyone else.
Me at the UK v. Valpo game
I returned to the ball park the next day to see the Wildcats play against Valparaiso University. It was a pretty uneventful game, especially compared to the previous evening. Kentucky ended up winning 8-1, thanks to the help of Austin Cousino's three hit, three RBI day. With that particular win, the Bat Cats tied the school record for 44 wins (reached in both 2006 and 2008). The Wildcats were moving on in the tournament, facing the loser of the Purdue v. Kent State game that was held after their game against Valpo (Purdue ended up losing).
I was particularly looking forward to Sunday's game against Purdue because Corey would be pitching. I was excited to finally get to see a great pitcher in action and was hoping that he would play exceptionally well, much like everyone wishes of their favorite player. Corey knew I was a fan of his and I wanted to make sure that I showed my support of him at the game on Sunday. So, I went home to make a t-shirt with his name and number. I wanted to make sure everyone knew who I was supporting out there. I was also hoping that I would maybe get to finally meet Corey either before or after the game on Sunday because he had been exceptionally nice to me any time I had chatted with him through Twitter. I got an 8x10 printed of my favorite photo I had taken of him on Friday night (see above), hoping that he would sign it for me. He had complimented me on my photography and I hoped to have something personal...something that I took. If it didn't happen, at least I had a great photo out of it.
My t-shirt and signed C. Littrell photo
I arrived to the ball park and had to wait for the gates to open. I had on my shirt and had my photo ready. I found my seat and watched batting practice, where I saw that Corey was sitting by himself in the bull pen. I really didn't want to bother him before the game in case he needed that time for himself. However, I was also worried that I wouldn't get a chance to see him after the game. When I saw a father and son approach him, I decided that I would take a chance. I headed over to the bull pen with a big smile on my face. I had him sign and personalize my photo, which he once again complimented. I honestly didn't even think of grabbing a photo with him until the father asked if he could get a photo with his son. The father was then nice enough to snap my picture with Corey.
Me and Corey Littrell
I was, once again, doing some major fangirling inside. I was perfectly happy with that moment and my weekend was totally made at that point. Little did I know that something would happen later that evening that would make it even better.
Corey after a close call on the mound
Corey ended up pitching 7.1 innings, allowing 7 hits and 3 runs, walking 2, and striking out 7. I think his most interesting play of the game was when a line drive came flying right at his head. He was a little shaken up but afterwards he still had a smile on his face.
Walking back to the dugout after their win over Purdue...
The Wildcats ended up winning this game 6-3... another win in the book and now setting a school record of a 45 win season. They would now be going on to face Kent State...again. If they lost their next game, their season would be done. If they won, they would have to face Kent State once again on Monday (remember that this was a double elimination tournament and they were in the losers bracket). I was totally ready to attend another game on Monday but I knew they had to get through this one first. I had some time between games and had to charge my camera battery to get ready for the new game because I had forgotten my spare...only I would run down my battery during a baseball game.
As I was walking to my car, I heard someone behind me compliment me on my shirt. I turned around and the guy introduced himself as Corey's dad. I shook his hand and told him that his son was my favorite player and was a genuine good guy. He thanked me for my kind words and I continued onto my car. I thought it was so cool to have met his dad while I was there (who also played a little baseball himself within the Dodgers and Expos organizations) and be able to tell him what a great guy he had raised. I used the time in between games to charge my battery as much as I could and went back into the ball park where I took my seat right behind the Kentucky dugout once again.
Hustling after a foul ball...
I knew from the experience of the 21 inning game on Friday night that this team was going to be tough to beat. My prediciton was proven right when we sat through seven innings of scoreless baseball. There were some not so right calls by the umps against Kentucky throughout the evening. Then in the top of the eighth inning, Kent State hit a three-run homer. However, according to some video taken that was viewed later, the ball had actually hit the metal railing below the yellow mark in right field before bouncing back into play. It was immediately ruled a homerun by the first base ump, but Kentucky's outfielders had something else to say about that ruling. Kentucky coaches thought that the ball had hit off the seats and, therefore, did not argue the call. They thought the umps had it right and couldn't have possibly missed a third call. Coach Henderson was later quoted as saying, "That's obviously on me at that point. No doubt about that. I should have been out there jumping up and down and hollering but I actually thought he got it right." Kentucky then scored two runs in the 8th. Neither team was able to score in the 9th. Kentucky had lost by one run...a run that maybe should not have even been there in the first place due to the supposed wrong home run call. Kentucky's season was over and they all looked extremely dejected. Those boys had so much to be proud of though with the record-setting season they had, winning 45 games. While I know they were disappointed not to move on in the tournament, they have played their hearts out and had provided a great team for us all to watch.
I had felt a little dissappointed myself as I started to walk toward my car. I stopped when I saw many of the families/fans lining up to wait for the guys to go to their bus. I decided that I was going to join them and congratulate the guys on their amazing season. As I was standing there waiting, someone asked me where I had gotten my shirt. This time, it was Corey's step-father that introduced himself. Corey's mom eventually joined us and as I went to shake her hand, she embraced me into a big hug instead and commented on how I was Corey's biggest fan that she knew from Twitter (I didn't know whether to be proud of that or embarrassed). As the guys came out I sat back and gave them all a chance to meet with their families. Some of them had tears in their eyes as they embraced their families and it was so interesting to be able to witness their interactions. I wasn't even worried about talking to any of them because I was fine with people watching. However, the next thing I knew, Corey's mom was elbowing him in the side and then pointing at me. All I could think was "what is happening?" Corey walked over to me and gave me a hug, I was on cloud nine. I thanked him for the autograph and photo he had done earlier in the day and he told me how great it was to finally meet me. After some chit chat he had to leave and I thanked him again. He truly was a very sweet guy and I am proud to be a fan of his. I hope he realizes how much it meant to me that he treated me so nicely and will gladly follow him in his baseball career (luckily, we have this season with him at Kentucky still).
I think the most exciting thing that came out of these regional games were the people I have met and talked to since then because of it. I had taken a lot of photos (hence the recharge of the battery between games on Sunday) and wanted to be able to share them with the players and their families. I had begun by posting several of the photos on Twitter, where many of the guys retweeted and favorited them. However, that was just taking way to long to do....I had A LOT of pictures. Corey had accepted my friend request on Facebook so I wondered if I could get lucky enough to add as many other players on the team as I could. I got out the roster and began searching for each player, sending them a friend request when I found them. Slowly, I started to get notifications of them accepting my friend requests. As my requests were accepted, I started tagging them in the appropriate photos. Soon, I started to get messages in my inbox from friends and families of the players thanking me for sharing all of the photos I had taken. This truly made me feel special. I have even started chatting with some of these people, as we discuss the upcoming season. I'm always so happy to be able to share my memories with others (hence this blog) and it felt good to be appreciated. I still get a little giddy when I get the notification that someone has liked one of those photos and I even get an occasional notification that one of the players themselves have made one of my photos their profile picture. Some of the guys that were drafted into the minor leagues have remained friends with me via Facebook and some players on the team have deleted their pages. I am friends with more of the baseball team on Facebook than follow me on Twitter and I'm okay with that. I just think that no matter what way I can share my experiences, I'm grateful that they decide to share their lives with fans like myself.
I was a fan of the Bat Cats before this regionals experience but my love has grown exponentially with this experience. I never thought I would say this, but I love UK Baseball more than I love UK Basketball....GASP! The players are able to make themselves much more accesible than the basketball team. Also, I have now met two basketball players and the four baseball players I have met and talked to were much more warm and friendly than the basketball players. For all of those reasons, I have a great new love for this program. I am VERY excited for what this upcoming season has in store for them and for us, as fans.
Title Credit - "Spanish Eyes" - Millennium - Backstreet Boys
12/28/12 - 1/1/13
New York City, NY/Atlantic City, NJ/Bethlehem, PA
Just when I thought that I would have no BSB in my life in 2012, they decided to spring a New Year's Celebration show on the Backstreet world. I was so excited when the show was announced because I didn't want to go any longer without seeing them. To make matters even better, the guys decided to add two additional shows around that time (only one of which we decided to go to). It had been over a year between the 2011 cruise and the shows that I went to and you better believe I was in some major Backstreet withdrawal even though I had seen Nick in February during his solo tour and Brian in September at the Roswell Wylee Party. Seeing the guys alone and seeing them as the Backstreet Boys are two completely different things. The only downside was that Kevin wouldn't be joining the rest of the group on this very small almost mini-tour. Supposedly, these three shows were booked before Kevin decided to rejoin the group but I have my own feelings about all of that which really aren't important. This was going to be like a last hoorah for the four boys before the group starts their 20th anniversary festivities this year. Not only was I super excited to be seeing the Backstreet Boys again, but I would get a chance to see my girlies again! I hadn't seen them since our reunion in D.C. in June and I was very much looking forward to the fun that always commences when I'm with them. This was also the first time I was going to get to meet Kristen, the newest addition to our group.
My received gift in the gift exchange...love it!
Saturday, December 28 - I flew out of Chicago and into Newark where I had volunteered to wait about 2 hours for Kristen to land so that Ash and Cort would only have to make one trip to the airport. After hearing word that Kristen was stuck at the airport in Toronto with engine problems on her plane, the girls came to pick me up since we had no idea when Kristen's flight was going to get going. I got to experience my first gas station visit in Jersey, where it is illegal to pump your own gas. How I wish this were the case on those freezing Northwest Indiana days here. I caught up with the girls before we had to make our trip back out to the airport to pick Kristen up after her long day of travel. The four of us exchanged our gift exchange gifts and I spent a good portion of the night staring into Brian's sparkly blue eyes on my gift. I loved my gift and the girls seemed to enjoy the calendar I had made Cort. Like the good old high school days, we stayed up entirely too late chatting away and laughing...it was just like our old Backstreet sleepovers.
Saturday, December 29 - A trip into New York City was in store for us on Saturday as we hopped on the train. When we had left Jersey, it has been snowing. Rain was awaiting us in the city when we stepped off the train. Luckily, I kow the art of layering (thank you Chicago) and stayed warm the entire day...even if I did look extremely fat in all my clothes. Our first stop was Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas Tree all lit up and pretty before heading to Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.
Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center
Madame Tussaud's was packed but we still had a great time getting some great photo ops. We were able to show the shapes of our heart to the Backstreet Boys mural on the wall and I'm sure the person taking our picture wondered why we were standing behind the Spice Girls rather than with them. If we could have moved those girls, we totally would have.
Ignore the Spice Girls and just admire the sexy guys on the wall
Ash was then given a heart attack as she rounded the corner as saw the most horrific site we saw all day....that other boy band that I refuse to use their name. We decided to show those five guys how we felt about them and I'm sure we were given funny looks once again.
Getting beat up by some girls
And not only did we have to deal with that stupid Ramen Noodle head once....but twice as we came upon a solo figure of him later in the museum.
what we think of this guy...
Madame Tussaud clearly needs to get her priorities in line. I mean which group is still performing and recording another album and is celebrating their 20th anniversary? That's what I thought. Anyway, we still had a great time being silly and goofy.
Me and Aaron Carter
Our next stop was to the Jerry Orbach Theatre to see that nights showing of "The Fantasticks," starring Aaron Carter (yes, the little brother of Backstreet Boy Nick Carter for those of my readers who may not know). During the show there was an endless cycle if laughing between the audience (read here "our group") and the actors in the play. I really do blame Ash for this. She was making us and the actors laugh with her incessant giggling, which made her laugh even more. After the show, we were complimented on what a great audience we were, but really they should have just been thanking Ash. After the show, we waited our turn patiently for Aaron to come over to our group for photos and such. Thankfully, he pretty much knows Cort so we knew we wouldn't get left out even though we seemed to be one of the last group of fans left there. He immediately started to hug each person in the group and as he hugged me I told him that it was my first time meeting him (this was really my first time seeing Aaron live in anything ever). After he gave us all hugs he signed some playbills for those of us who were seeing the play for the first time. I wish I could write about the dialogue that occurred during that signing session but it was an inside conversation that needs to stay within the group (calm down....boop). Next was photo time and as I got in next to him he told me that he was going to call me "new girl." After taking my photo in my new favorite hat (my hair was a disaster from wearing it all day and taking it off and on as we went in and out of buildings) he decided that he was going to call me "blue monkey head" instead. He then commented on how I was wearing all blue...hat, shirt, jeans....so I needed to tell him it was because the University of Kentucky had a big game that day and I had to wear my team colors (the game was against in-state rivals University of Louisville and they ended up losing by three points). I was happy that my hat had served as a conversation starter (as I had also hoped) and he was really sweet to all of us. He had mentioned that he would be coming to Chicago during his solo tour and I probably wouldn't mind going and seeing it. He got a new fan in me on that day. The train ride home was spent reliving all of the exciting details of the day, as we once again stayed up entirely too late. Staying up that late in high school was simple...now that we're older it's a little more difficult.
Sunday, December 30 - It was finally the day!....the day that I would FINALLY get to see the Backstreet Boys in 2012 (well, minus Kevin of course)! Even though my friends and I had flat out said we weren't going to get VIPs for either of the shows we were going to, we ended up caving....rather I was the enabler on this one. My husband and I had been able to work our budget so that I would be able to buy a Silver VIP for the Atlantic City concert on this day. I mentioned this to the girls and they gladly informed me that if I was going to do Silver, then they would join me. I, myself, would not have done the Silver VIP if they didn't do it. I've done a Silver VIP before where I only knew one of the five people in my photo and it's a picture I never share with others (especially since the guys are behind a barricade in it). I hadn't seen the guys in a year so I wanted to get as much of them in my life as I possibly could. The photo was also going to give me the opportunity to do two things - 1) get a momento of the weekend with not only the Backstreet Boys, but with three of the girls that I was spending the weekend with and 2) see if Brian might by any chance remember me from my September heart to heart with him (he sees so many fans all the time so I truly didn't know).
We traveled the two hours to Atlantic City and got into our VIP line, awaiting check in. While waiting, each person in our group saw someone we knew and we spent the time waiting to catch up with some long lost friends. I was SO excited when it was time for the soundcheck to start. Unlike the last two soundchecks I had been to, the guys had a specific list of songs for us to choose from and girls started screaming out song titles left and right.
Soundcheck photos
The first song chosen was "Panic" (from Unbreakable) which I hadn't heard in some time. It's always good to hear songs that you very rarely get to hear them sing live. The following video also explains why I enjoy soundchecks...the guys just have fun with them. The little dances that are done by Nick and AJ in this video crack me up.
Next was one of my favorite songs from This Is Us, "PDA." Apparently, just because its one of my favorites and I know all of the words to it does not mean that the guys do. As they often have to do during soundchecks, Nick googled the words to their own song. I always laugh hysterically when this happens because it shows how human these guys really are. They've recorded so many songs over their 20 years together, I can imagine it would be difficult to remember every word to every song. I also just can't stop laughing at the end when Nick and Brian decide to show Howie some PDA of their own...
I thought for sure that after the first two songs, it would be picture time. After all, every soundcheck I had been to in the past only got two songs. Why would this one be any different? Imagine my surprise when they decided to sing a 3rd song after profusely apologizing for how "awful" PDA had been. It made me happy that it was one of my absolute favorites that they decided to sing next.
I've heard "Siberia" (Never Gone) done in a soundcheck before and it was included in both the 2010 Pre-Cruise Acoustic show and 2011 Cruise concert - before those times it had not made an appearance since the confetti rained down like snow on the Never Gone tour in 2005). It truly is one of my favorite Backstreet Boys songs so I was ecstatic to be hearing it again. I also know its one of the guys' favorite songs (almost everyone agrees it should have been a single). All of the guys sounded amazing in it as usual and Nick decided to give us a little time behind the drums.
Brian in my favorite outfit -
If this is your photo then
please contact me so I can
give you proper credit
Now it was time for Q&A...or was it? I thought my little heart was going to explode from joy when they agreed to do just one more soundcheck song. FOUR soundcheck songs??? You mean we were actually going to get what was advertised with the VIPs for all that time (3-4 Soundcheck songs)? It was almost too much! The Boys went into "More Than That," (Black and Blue) which is always a song that I forget how much I like until they sing it. It also makes me think of my ALL TIME favorite concert outfit that Brian wore during the This Is Us tour.
Now it really was time for Q&A. I hoped that there would be some good questions that would lead to some great Backstreet discussion. The funniest part of the Q&A portion had to have been during Howie's answer of his question...but it wasn't necessarily Howie that was the funny part. Nick's reaction to Howie's rambling is the highlight of this Q&A session!
Q (to Howie): Describe your experience of being a Backstreet Boy in 10 words or less....(EPIC FAIL Howie....you're STILL talking?)
Q (to AJ): What is your biggest accomplishment other than your wife and daughter?...(which really turned into talk of him being a father.)
Q (to Nick): What would you be doing if you weren't a Backstreet Boy?
A: Unfortunately, I don't have video to this one because it was a question that many of us had heard before. However, Nick's answer was different than usual when he answered with "football player." He said that he was called a "beefcake" and given a microphone instead.
Q (to Brian): Who is to blame for the loss against the New Kids on the Block during your MixTape Softball game? (Brian would get the sports question...and apparently there is more than one person to blame)
The VIP Soundcheck party was going great and now it was time for our photos. The girls and I had prearranged who we would be standing next to (and had even done some color coordinating with out outfits) and got in the order that we would need to be in order to make sure that everyone got the chance to see all the guys. This wasn't our first rodeo. I was disappointed when we were told you just put our stuff at our feet and that no hugs would be allowed (even though rumor had it that hugs were encouraged the day before at the Connecticut sound check). I know people who still ask for hugs when they are told this but I'm always afraid I'll get into trouble if I disobey the rules. They tried splitting our group up by putting six people into the group in front of us. We told them absolutely not and since when do they put six people in the VIP photos (it can usually range between 4-6 depending on the groupings...I had five for my Grand Rapuids VIP because there were two of us and a group of 3 that were put together). Again...this was not our first rodeo. We also believe that they then tried to put six people into our group but the girls behind us were also a group of four I believe. I was the last in line for our group since Brian was the closest to the line (the first girl in line stands by the furthest boy away so that when you get to your boy, you stop, take your photo, and then continue down the line as you leave the photo).
I shook Brian's hand, where he immediately looked into my eyes, said, "It's so good to see you again!" with a big smile on his face. I can't even imagine what the smile on my face looked like because my little heart was going about a million miles a minute...Brian Littrell did, in fact, remember me....unless he is just that good of an actor (I have to believe it was the real thing because of the conversation we had back in September at the Wylee Party). Since AJ was right next to me, I quickly shook his hand and then I was going to get Nick and Howie's on the way out. However, Nick reached out his hand to me across the group and I gladly took it. Brian seemed to be waiting for me to shake Howie's hand before he got into photo position but I told him I'd get him on the way out. Brian laughed at that and then stood next to me. Our group hadn't really come up with a specific pose for the photo but I had told the girls that I was going to do huggie pose with Brian (I guess it was my own special way of getting the "against the rules" hug). I told Brian this and just as we were putting our arms around each other, AJ grabbed my waist and pulled me into him so that I was with the rest of the group. I guess huggie pose wasn't happening this time, but our photo still turned out super cute (and I still want to thank Cort so much for letting me stand next to Brian...she had had her moment the night before with Aaron....)
Photo by Justin Segura
Originally, Eddy was supposed to have been the photogrpaher for these shows. which is one reason why we had decided against VIPs int he first place. Eddy is a great guy but Justin is a much better photogrpaher in our opinion. I think that knowing that Justin was going to be doing the photos, gave us all that extra push to go for that Silver VIP. He is a pretty cool guy and is a great photogrpaher.
We had some time before the show was supposed to start so we met up with the rest of the girls who didn't have VIP and grabbed a quick bite to eat. That's when several of us started debating the possibility of getting Bronze VIPs for the next day. We didn't necessarily need another photo but we kind of didn't want to miss out on the Sounndcheck and Q&A, which is really the best part of the whole VIP experience (well except for maybe the backstage tour included with the Platinum VIPs). We also discussed how incredibly happy we were that we had decided to go with the balcony seats and not general admission for this show. We were able to enjoy our time together without having to worry about getting back to stand in line for GA (even though we would have first entry with our VIPs). Also our group would not have to be separated since those of us with VIPs would have been able to get into GA before those without. Even though our tickets were bought in two different groups, we had been lucky enough to get 6 seats all right next to one another for this show. One of the best parts of the weekend was to be able to just experience everything with my girls...who are way fun to be with at concerts.
The concert finally started and we immediately rose to our feet. There were a lot of people around us that we believed were there because they got tickets from the casino we were at...they didn't seem to know the words to any of their newer/non-single stuff and they sat at points during the show. It really was a shame.
So the set list for the Atlantic City show was as follows:
Incomplete Larger Than Life - This also had a little surprise thrown in as we got to see the guys dance Gangnam Style.
Straight Through My Heart We've Got It Goin' On/Get Down Medley PLARS - AJ Solo
Don't Want You Back - We all know this should have replaced "The One" as a single. Thanks Nick.
Inconsolable Drowning - I love it when they just sing.
Gone Without Goodbye - Brian Solo - I can't even begin to explain how emotional Brian's solo was. Not only is it a sad song but he dedicated it to all of the victims of the CT shootings. I had tears falling down my face before he even started singing....and that was with knowing that it was coming thanks to a spoiler I had received earlier that day. If I wouldn't have known it was coming, I can't imagine the mess I would have been in.
Bigger - One of the girls believes Brian caught sight of us doing the Bigger dance out in the audience. Who knows if this is really true but we had a fun time doing it. If I Know Then - Those with Platinum VIPs got to go onstage to dance the guys during this song. I was happy for most of them but some of them needed to put more clothes on. I did not need to see as much as I saw on some of those girls. 100 Kisses - Howie Solo
Quit Playing Games/As Long As You Love Me/I Want It That Way Medley Burning Up - Nick Solo - We were up in the balcony and when this song started I thought that the balcony was going to collapse very quickly. That whole thing was shaking underneath us like it was going to let go at any time.
The One The Call Everybody (Backstreet's Back) - My all time favorite concert song... It truly was an amazing show. I loved that for the most part it was very uptempo. We had a great time dancing and singing along. Plus, I got some great photos...
And finally....my favorite photos of the evening....
After the concert, two of us decided to attend the after-party that was advertised with Howie and AJ. This was going to be my first after-party and I was interested to see what it would entail. We were extremely surprised that AJ was advertised as being there with the news he had shared just a few days before of him falling off the bandwagon with his drinking. I had heard good things and bad things about after-parties so I thought it might be good to try one out for myself. We waited in line for about fifteen minutes while trying to avoid a very loud, rude, drunk guy behind us. However, once we got into the club, we had quite a bit of room to move around. I was honestly expecting to be jammed into the club like sardines. It wasn't nearly as packed as I thought it would be and we were able to freely move up right in front of the DJ's table. Howie and AJ did make their entrance and went straight into the VIP area. The entire club seemed to move that way and then we really had room. We decided to stay where we were in case the guys decided to make their way over to the DJ booth. While we waited to see what was going to happen, we danced away to a very good DJ. Eventually, Howie made his way out onto the dance floor with his bodyguard, Josh, right by his side. Howie was taking photos with people and for the most part as soon as one person got their photo, they moved out of the way. There were some very eager girls but we all stayed civil for the most part. Eventually, Howie made his way over to us and I got my photo with him. I'm not really sure where he was looking but I was still happy to get my photo. I made sure to especially thank Josh because I don't think the bodyguards get nearly enough recognition for dealing with us crazies.
It was getting late and we decided that our money had been well spent with our photos and dancing. I saw a friend that I hadn't seen in two years and met her sister for the first time even though we were friends on Facebook. Most importantly, I had a good time. We weren't sure if AJ was going to come out and get photos so we decided that we were going to head back to go to sleep. Just as we were leaving, AJ was also leaving the club. Because he had just left, the security told us we couldn't exit the club yet. We really weren't trying to follow him, it just so happened we were wanting to leave at the same time. They held us back for about five minutes or so and then told us we had to walk down the hall and to the elevators and that we couldn't go down the escalators that were right there (the one's AJ had gone down). We stopped off in the restroom because we knew we had a bit of a drive ahead of us and then continued on our way to the lobby. Imagine our surprise when AJ was walking along in the lobby just as we were getting out of the elevator....it totally was not planned on our part. There was a small group of about 8 girls following him and we decided to stick around just a little while longer because it appeared as if he was going to hit up the casino and do some gambling. On the 2010 cruise, several girls had some nice interaction with him as he gambled in the casino and we were wondering if we could get that there. As we were waiting, AJ stepped into a little room and kind of disappeared up the elevators in the room. We weren't sure if he was going to a high rollers room or what but we decided to wait a few minutes before we decided not to wait around any longer. It's always so difficult making decisions when it comes to leaving events like that. We didn't want to miss anything but we didn't want to sit around and wait for nothing to happen. We found out later that he gambled until very late that night but wasn't really doing any interacting with anyone. This also means that he never went back to the club or the after-party. I asked another friend who told me that we didn't miss anything at the after-party after we left either. Overall, I enjoyed my first after-party but I'm not sure that I would do one again. I like the fact that it extends the night but I was never guaranteed to get that photo with Howie...plus Brian doesn't do the after-parties so its not like I'm missing out on any B-Rok action.
We drove back to where we were staying and quietly got into bed so we wouldn't wake the other girls (two of whom had to work the next morning). We were going to have another long day of Backstreet the next day as well!
Monday, December 30 - The day in which this whole trip had been originally planned around was here. It had already been an amazing weekend but now I was going to end 2012 and start 2013 with some great friends and the Backstreet Boys. It really was a win-win situation. While two of the girls were at work, the rest of us decided to sleep in. We were super happy when one of the girls was able to get off work early and we sat around and chatted about everything that had happened from the day before, as well as how awesome that night would be. We had decided that we were going to do Bronze VIP and wanted to make sure that the guys sang different songs than they did the previous night in Atlantic City. We pulled out the craft supplies and made some quick signs for "Trouble Is" and "This Is Us." We were very excited when we heard the news that our fifth person was probably going to get off work in time to make it to the Soundcheck after all. Her sister decided to wait back for her while the rest of us made our way to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. We got there and did what Backstreet fans do best...wait. Let me tell you something, this was probably the most drama filled VIP I have been to. First, the guy at the door wasn't going to let Kristen in because she had her Canadian drivers license, even though it had been swiped and cleared while going through the casino. Then, Ash and Cort were cutting it very close on time to check in. When they did finally get there, there was no one at the door to let them in. I had opened the door for them to get in but was stopped by one of the employees of the venue who wasn't quite on the clock yet. I found another employee and explained the situation. He told me that they were just out of luck. I was so angry because the two had rushed to try to do soundcheck with us (luckily they had not bought their VIPs yet). Then the guy told me he was just joking and let them in. When we were finally ready to buy our VIP, Justin told us he would be right back and was gone for what seemed like forever (he was extremely flustered since he was running the check in table by himself). It was a complete mess! After things settled down and we all got our VIPs, it was more sitting and waiting. We met a nice couple who was doing their first VIP and exchanged Facebook information. Justin came around and explained that it would still be some time before we could get in because there was some last minute rehearsal being done. However, we are such experts at the "hurry up and wait" Backstreet game that one of the girls brought something to occupy our time and "Boy Band Taboo" was invented. Basically you use the game cards from Taboo and have everyone else try to guess the key word by not only not using the words listed under the key word, but by relating the key word to a boy band. Unfortunately, I was at a bit of a disadvantage since the group of girls I was with are also very big Big Time Rush fans and used their TV show for a lot of clues. It was still a good thing to occupy our time as we waited.
After what seemed like at least an hour of waiting, Justin started to walk each VIP group in according to color. We were bronze so we were last. As a matter of fact, the guys started to sing their first soundcheck song, "I Still," as we were still walking down the isle and before we even got to our seats. Needless to say, I did not get that one on video. We were ready for the next song though as we put our "Trouble Is" signs high over our heads. Between our signs and the fact that we were the only one's standing during the soundcheck, the guys picked our song. Not only had we wanted to hear different songs than the night before, but we also wanted to see if we could get songs in which they might not know the words since those seem to be the most fun during soundchecks. We succeeded with our first song, as Nick pulled out his phone and googled the words.
The thing I always like when the guys forget the words is that Brian always seems to remember everyone's part. I wonder how often he listens to his own music at home....
I thought for sure that since they were running so late, we would only get the typical two songs. I was happy when they agreed to do another and we turned our signs over to display our second request, "This Is Us." As girls were yelling out other titles, Nick specifically pointed to each of us and our signs and stated that he saw a lot of requests for "The Scissors," as the guys like to call it (there must have been someone up front with a sign as well because he pointed somewhere up there). Then the best part of the soundcheck happened. Not only did they not even know where to begin with the words, but they even thought that the wrong song was being played. It truly was hilarious.
So, my group had dominated the soundcheck portion of VIP by having two of our requested songs played out of the three they sang. Next was the Q&A and we once again hit the jackpot when two of our group of five got chosen to ask questions.
I honestly don't remember what the other two questions of the evening were but our two questions were as follows:
Q: Who is responsible for Backstreet time? (it was AJ's fault this time)
Q: If there were a Boy Band Softball League, which Boy Bands would you be able to beat? (this was a spin off of the question the day before and Brian answered that the Backstreet Boys could beat any boy band in anything).
Soundcheck photos
Excited for the show...
We were all very excited that we decided to do the Bronze VIP because we got a lot of love from the guys when they picked our songs and our questions. However, we were ushered out before the other groups started taking their photos. I was happy to have done our Silver the day before because all of the guys had looked good for the picture. Nick didn't try so hard for this show, as he showed up in red sweatpants and a t-shirt. We received information that the guys wouldn't actually go on stage until 11pm so we had quite bit of time to kill before the actual concert started. We went to go get a bite to eat and killed some more time playing Boy Band Taboo in the hallway so that we didn't have to deal with the noise of the DJ inside the venue (until we were told to move by an employee of the casino). Our group was going to be split up for this show (into four different spots) and it made me kind of sad that I wouldn't get to spend midnight with everyone. However, right before the show started, there were some empty seats right around two of the other girls and we decided to stand together...so at least four of us were able to bring in the New Year together.
Bringing in the New Year together...
This particular show was even more for the frequent fliers of the casino than the show in Atlantic City as we were surrounded by a lot of way older couples. We hoped that would be a good sign for us so that they would sit and we could see over them. We might have had the only old people that stood up in front of us. Luckily, they didn't stand up the whole time and we still didn't have too much trouble seeing since it was all on a flat surface. Because of the concert population, the solos from the previous night were taken out and the set list order changed slightly and they threw in "Shape of My Heart." This song was especially cute because AJ had Rochelle on video on his phone and was singing to his phone. Occasionally, we would turn the phone to the audience so that we could see her and she could see us. It was sad that the other three had their significant others there but AJ didn't. There weren't as many talking segments to provide an intro to the next song either. Still, it was a great show. The Backstreet Boys stopped the show with about one minute left until midnight and provided the live feed from the countdown in Time Square. We counted down to midnight and as the clock struck twelve, balloons rained down on us. The guys' families came out to help them countdown and we got to see Lauren marking her territory with Nick big time. The four of us gave each other big hugs and I was so happy to just be there with friends and a music group that I love.
I was sad when the concert was over because it meant a couple of things. 1) There's no more Backstreet planned as of right now until the cruise in October. No one knows yet when they are releasing their new album and, therefore, touring. 2) I was going to have to leave my friends, who I probably won't get to see again until October. I hate that these friends live so far away and I only get to see them once or twice a year. When we are together we have the greatest time.
While I had flown into Newark to start my trip, I had decided to make the drive back to DC with Laura because it was cheaper to fly back from there than it was to fly back from Newark. I said goodbye to the rest of the girls and Laura and I drove to her grandfather's to stay the night. We got up the next morning and made the trip to DC and the airport, where I was dropped off much earlier than the two hours before that they recommend (it was like five hours). Luckily, I had my computer, photos, and videos from the weekend to keep me occupied.
After an uneventful flight back to Chicago, I got off the plane with two minutes to spare before my bus back home was to leave. Needless to say, I missed my bus and had to wait at the airport for two more hours before the next (and last bus of the evening) came. I still needed to go to work the next day and knew that it was going to be difficult. It was...and the day after that I woke up with absolutely no voice. Most fans can tell you that it never fails that we get sick after a big Backstreet adventure. However, every second is worth it in the end. I was in 8 different cities and 6 different states within a span of 5 days, spending time with 4 great guys and 6 great gals. It was a tremendous way to end 2012 and start 2013.
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Sunday, June 10, 2012 - Sunday was bittersweet because we were together but it was going to be our last day together. We headed to Georgetown where we were going to visit DC Cupcakes, which is featured on TLC and explore the town. However, not only was Sunday bittersweet but it was HOT! There was a very long line outside of the cupcake shop and there was no shade to be found. We were roasting in the hot sun and decided that we were going to get our cupcakes and go back home! I hoped the cupcakes were going to be worth melting in the hot sun for....they totally were. They were the best cupcakes I've ever eaten...but I haven't really eaten cupcakes that didn't come from a box or grocery chain. I had gotten four cupcakes (two for me and two to take home to my husband). I ate my two right away...my husband was lucky his made it all the way home because I heavily debated breaking into them at the airport the next day. After we were done with our delicious cupcakes, the three Jersey girls decided to hit the road. We said our goodbyes, thinking it was going to be the last time we were going to see each other for the year (several of them later got to go to some other events together and then we all reunited in December for our AC and PA BSB shows). 
Sunday, June 10, 2012 - Sunday was bittersweet because we were together but it was going to be our last day together. We headed to Georgetown where we were going to visit DC Cupcakes, which is featured on TLC and explore the town. However, not only was Sunday bittersweet but it was HOT! There was a very long line outside of the cupcake shop and there was no shade to be found. We were roasting in the hot sun and decided that we were going to get our cupcakes and go back home! I hoped the cupcakes were going to be worth melting in the hot sun for....they totally were. They were the best cupcakes I've ever eaten...but I haven't really eaten cupcakes that didn't come from a box or grocery chain. I had gotten four cupcakes (two for me and two to take home to my husband). I ate my two right away...my husband was lucky his made it all the way home because I heavily debated breaking into them at the airport the next day. After we were done with our delicious cupcakes, the three Jersey girls decided to hit the road. We said our goodbyes, thinking it was going to be the last time we were going to see each other for the year (several of them later got to go to some other events together and then we all reunited in December for our AC and PA BSB shows). 
