Then and Now: NKOTBSB

In case you happen upon this blog and are unaware of my love for boybands let me take you back to 1997. I was 10 years old in the 5th grade and was assigned a seat next to Rhiannon Bolig, she was looking through a Teen Beat magazine and there it started; what most people that know me call an obsession ( I prefer to call it a passionate love) for the Backstreet Boys. I think I can say that 90% of my middle school years were spent revolving around the Backstreet Boys. They made me happy throughout my tumoltuous teenage years.





Proof:


While most of my love was always directed at the Backstreet Boys, after that initial introduction to boy bands I was sold and have loved almost every boy band since.


May 17, 1999: it was the day before the release of the Backstreet Boys second (American) album Millennium and I was watching TRL. Most days I only watched the top five because Nsync, Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears were always fighting for the top spot but I watched the entire show this day because there was a lot of promo going on for Millennium. That was when I saw Jordan Knight, it was the first time he told me he could give it to me and I think it may have been my first experience with love at first sight. He was pretty to me!


This immediate infatuation lead me to the internet which in turn lead me to a site that told me all about him being a former member of the New Kids on the Block. That was when I saw him, Mr. Donnie Wahlberg! He had fluffy hair (which we know now that I have a weakness for) a bandana on and a scowl on his face, there happened my second experience with love at first sight. I had to know more about the New Kids on the Block! I downloaded their biggest songs only to learn that I already knew most of them, my Aunt Tonya had had their Hangin Tough cassette tape and I had loved it. My love for NKOTB grew but it was not like my love for Backstreet Boys because I had no one to talk about the New Kids with, and no way to enjoy them outside of the internet (which my access to was limited.) I watched videos and I listened to their songs but it was a different love, it was a "wish I had been around for this cuz it's awesome" kinda love.



In 2008, nearly 9 years later it was confirmed that NKOTB was reuniting. This sent me on a whirlwind ride that I still haven't gotten off of. These past 2 and a half years have proved to be 2 and a half of the most trying years for me personally, and through that I have had both NKOTB and BSB. But I never imagined that I would see NKOTB and BSB together, never fathomed it. Even when I was told hours before it happened, I didn't believe it. Nope it wasn't gonna happen, I believe my exact words were "Danny doesn't even like the Backstreet Boys" there is no way, and then shortly after I was screaming til I had no air because it WAS possible and it was happening before my eyes.



I was there to experience a once in a lifetime event, NKOTB and BSB performing together, it wouldn't happen again right? Wrong! Last week they officially confirmed the rumors that they would tour together. I couldn't be more happy right? Well yes and no. See for me, to have my BSB world and my NKOTB world collide would be absolutely amazing, or so I thought. I am absolutely ecstatic about the NKOTBSB tour, I think it will be nothing short of Epic!! but if I am unable to get a second job, I will not be able to take part in this epicness and that hurts my heart.


Financial issues aside, my NKOTB/BSB combined world is a rare breed. See, a lot of the fans of both groups are not happy about this collaboration, which is still hard for me to understand because if BSB or NKOTB had said they were to tour with Soulja Boy (whom irks me) I would have been just as excited. Now I understand that the ticketing process is what a lot of the uproar is about but if you don't get floor tickets for this concert is it really gonna kill you? If I had to sit in the very last seat in the very last row in the biggest arena in America I would go, I would go and I would enjoy myself. I know that if I am able to attend any of the shows to come I will go and be happy, I just hope that whoever I go with will share my excitement. I love my friends that I have been blessed to meet through NKOTB but I know that they don't share my excitement and I don't want to take away from their NKOTB experience.




Will I be able to go? Will I get a second job? Will tickets go on sale WAY too soon? Will the tour come close enough for me to go? Will I meet BSB? Will my 12 year old self make yet another apperance? Stay tuned to find out lol ;)

It's time for an update

Next month will mark six months since I graduated from ECU. This year has really flown by.

Ester has sadly gone to the big car lot in the sky :( I shall miss her, I had a lot of good times in Ester and she took me to a lot of great places! But Losing Ester did bring me Hank who is awesome! (although his payment is not).

Right now I am contemplating whether I should attempt to go back to school for my Master's. My job now would allow me some time to work on assignments but I am just unsure if it would be possible financially or if they would even accept me into the program since my grades were less than stellar as an undergraduate. I also contemplated finding a second job but I don't see my schedule allowing that at all. I'm perplexed and I need a solution quick because my student loan payments are no joke.

New York

pic from @barby312

I know that this blog is really late, but I've been trying to figure out how I was gonna put into words what was an incredibly wonderful experience. I haven't figured that out yet because 'incredibly wonderful' still doesn't do the experience justice.

I guess I'll start with us getting to New York. It seemed like the month before the trip was plagued with nothing but obstacles, from a broken foot (how does that happen??), health problems and car problems, to a freaking pilot strike (which I won't comment on cuz I'll get off on an angry tangent). But despite the obstacles and with help from Jess' mom (whom I'm still extremely thankful for) we were able to finally get to New York.

I'll be here for another week if I try to recount everything that happened once we were there. I say that because it was more of the small moments with the awesome people I was there with that made the experience as amazing as it was. Don't get me wrong I LOVE the big moments, like when BSB joined NKOTB on stage (still aren't words to describe that feeling), but I could have gone to New York alone and still enjoyed those moments, the trip would have been mediocre at best without my girls.

The Meet and Greet was AWESOME! I (of course) acted like a complete bumbling crazy fan girl but the guys were amazing as always, Jordan said my name (which added to my craziness) Joe got me love from Danny, who I ended up leaning away from (WTF!?!?) cuz I was busy telling Donnie (again) "I Love Donnie Wahlberg." (Sorry Danny :( I need a do over for that) and even tho I'm next to my Jordan in the first picture I adore our second picture because everyone is smiling and we all look very happy.



(Jess' face in the below picture makes me giggle tho)


The shows themselves were unbelievable!! Especially when Jordan pointed to me while singing "cuz I couldn't stop thinking 'bout you." (I know you love that Jess LOL.) The guys were on point as usual, they made us laugh, they made us cry, we danced (altho I was able to keep my jewelry and panties unlike some ppl *ahem*Jess*ahem*, we sang, we were surprised, we were shocked and we were amazed. We had a Damn good time!

The nights after the shows were spent having a blast terrorizing the front desk people (who I'm sure miss us), eating $50 pizza (at the recommendation of the front desk person), playing with the ridiculous amount of glow sticks we had and being accused of stealing Pooh bear. When we weren't at a show we were introducing Kelly to the song Toasties, walking across the street with Rudy Giuliani, snapping pictures of an out of work Elmo (and then running), being told to enjoy our toilet paper (huh?), meeting a Rockette, trying out the street vendors food, touring NBC studios, forming the newest Pop sensation 99cent Dreams, building Nu'ber Onzblock (99cent Dreams official mascot), meeting people face to face that we'd been following on twitter for over a year, and what was probably my favorite part; meeting awesome Blockheads (including the Fabulous Liz and Andrea!).

We met a lot of really awesome people on that trip and had a lot of really good times, I wouldn't change a minute of anything that happened (with the exception of Erin's broken foot and not having her at our Time Square sing-a-long.) The trip was perfect.

Thank you Erin for always being my ride or die Biotch! An NKOTB adventure is not an NKOTB adventure without you.
Thank you Jess for being my travel buddy. We did it, but I wouldn't have made it without!
Thank you Kelly for putting up with my spastic, crazy I'm a Jordan girl but "I Love Donnie Wahlberg" self.
To my girls that couldn't join us on this adventure, we missed you and I hope you can join me on whatever adventure is next.
Love you girls and can't wait to go on another NKOTB adventure with you!! (Boston anyone??)