You're in the middle of a loud room, packed wall to wall with people chatting away. Suddenly, the lights disappear—not gradually, but instantly. The conversation stops just as quickly as the lights went down and turns into loud screams. The music gets louder and now the room is lit by the screens of hundreds of iPhones raised in the air, until the stage in front of you lights up. Then it's time. Your favorite artist is on stage and the screams are even louder now, though you didn't think that could be possible. It's time for the easy part -- sit back, relax, and enjoy.

For some, concerts aren't a great experience. The thought of being packed in a crowded room with a bunch of people screaming for hours leaves something to be desired. There is the stress of waiting in line for hours to get a good seat, or being able to click the button fast enough to buy your tickets before the show is sold out. You may deal with belligerent drunks that are only there because someone else dragged them there, or the drunks that are so excited to be there that they're dancing with their cup in the air—and their beer is down your back. I get it.

Would it be weird though, if I said your stress is my high?

I went to my first concert when I was 6. My parents took me to a Kenny Chesney concert at the state fair and from that moment on, it became my life. I loved the energy, the excitement, the awe of seeing a real celebrity and musician standing just feet away from me. I thought it was normal, that everyone had been going to concerts since they were kids. You can imagine my surprise as I got older and invited friends to concerts with me and most of those concerts were the first ones they had ever been to. I made a hobby of waiting online for ticket sales and sitting in a roped-off line outside the venue to get a chance to meet the artists or just to be the first one in the venue. I'm not obsessed; I just appreciate music more than most.

It's important to note that I'm not the most social person in the world. In fact, I deal with major anxiety in social situations. I don't like crowds, and confidence doesn't come easily. Concerts are different for me though—they have become an escape. I like to travel for my shows, being that I live in possibly the smallest town on the map, so by going to concerts I get to enjoy new environments as well as meet new people that I normally wouldn't be social with. Yeah, it can be stressful, but nothing is better than the feeling of being so close to your favorite artist and being in a room with hundreds of people that all have something in common -- they are there to appreciate the music.

When I'm at a concert, I'm free to be myself. It's the adrenaline that rushes through my body moments before the show starts. It's the excitement leading up to concert day, and the post-concert depression after the show ends. It's the fact that I smile and let loose for an extended period of time—something I can't do anywhere else.

I've been to too many concerts to count at this point and each one, regardless of whether the artist sounded awful live or like a dream come true, gave me the same great feeling. To all of the musicians that I've seen this past summer and the years leading up to this: Thank you for making great music and giving me and many others an escape, and for being an inspiration to thousands.