I am writing this article to reflect on a recent experience that I had, but have not been able to comprehend or put into words, until now. On November 12th, a friend and I attended the Troye Sivan Suburbia Tour at Agganis Arena in Boston, Massachusetts. The tickets were my Christmas gift to her, as we have both been huge fans of his music and YouTube channel for many years. With Troye’s American concerts typically selling out within seconds, I knew that I had to act quickly to secure our seats. It was only after the purchase was complete, that I realized what I had actually gotten myself into.

I was so excited to surprise my friend with the tickets, that I was not focused on the logistics of the trip. However, the first thought that came to my mind after the initial excitement wore off, was how on earth I was going to get there and where would we ever find parking? As an inexperienced driver, the thought of driving in Boston was absolutely terrifying; my friend and I pretty much accepted that there was a high risk of death or accident, but we knew that it was a chance that we had to take to see our idol. Besides the driving situation, we were both concerned about how we would handle the crowds of people, all piling into the arena to see him. We are both become anxious in new environments, especially those as chaotic as a concert. So, we spent the next month or so, worrying about how the trip and the concert would go. Do you know where all that worrying got us? Absolutely nowhere.

The drive to Boston went off without a hitch, besides the one time that we took a wrong turn and the numerous people that tried to cut us off. We were able to find a safe and convenient place to park, as well as a Panera Bread restaurant across the road to eat at before the show started. Although there were a lot of people attempting to enter the venue at the same time, we stuck together and quickly found our seats. We were thrilled to discover that we were the last row of seats, meaning that we had a bird's eye view of the stage and no one behind us to worry about. While we found the opening act to be enjoyable, it was a bit too loud for our liking, so we took that opportunity to step outside for a minute to buy merchandise.

When it was finally time to see Troye, all of our fears from the day seemed to suddenly melt away as we watched the show. Not only were the songs even better live, but it was so amazing to be surrounded by people who were so accepting of everyone, despite their backgrounds. During numerous songs, the crowd lit up the stadium with a rainbow flag, using colored paper and our phone flashlights. Listening to Troye’s lyrics and words of encouragement to not be afraid to be who you are, despite the scary circumstances that our country is sure to face following the outcome of the presidential election, was inspiring, to say the least. You could feel the love radiating throughout the stadium and I can honestly say that it was one of the best experiences of my life.

Besides sharing my incredible concert experience, the main point that I would like readers to take away from this article is that life truly does begin at the end of your comfort zone. Do not be afraid to try new things or let your worries stop you from experiencing a once in a lifetime opportunity. Although I normally prefer to remain within the confines of my comfort zone, I recognize the importance of stepping out of that box, every now and again. I am so glad that I let my worries wane for once; I encourage everyone reading this to do the same and conquer their comfort zone.