June 9, 2004 - Nikon at Jones Beach Theater, NY: The date it all started.

I get the question all the time "Why do you love Gwen Stefani so much?" When I was just 8 years old my parents took me to a No Doubt concert and it was the first concert I had ever been to. From the moment the band hit the stage I remember being completely astonished and basically in awe as I saw the band perform, especially Gwen front and center. Her voice gave me chills and it was almost addicting listening to her sing. Not too long after that concert, a friend of mine at the time gave me a poster with the date and place of the concert, and Gwen Stefani is pictured in the middle of singing "Don't Speak". To this day it is my most treasured possession and remains framed on my wall.

Growing up, I continued listening to No Doubt at every chance I could. "Don't Speak" was and still is my all time favorite song from them. This particular song has lyrics that anyone going through any type of relationship issue can relate to. Whether it's a best friend you're having an issue with or it's a person you have feelings for, this is the song that will hit home. To me, it gives me a sense of comfort for some reason, probably because this song has been with me for so many years and through every hard time or happy memory.

Although No Doubt's style was very Rock with a touch of Grunge and Pop, I enjoyed listening to their diversified sense of sound. This was who I was becoming. No they weren't what was considered popular, and to this day I'm the only person I know who actually still listens to them (and Gwen Stefani now that she went solo).

The popularity means nothing to me. Not only am I a fan of Gwen Stefani, but she's been my role model for as long as I could remember. What stands out to me is her style and fierce attitude. She flaunts herself and doesn't care what anyone thinks of her. She has her own sense of style, and doesn't care what anyone else is wearing or thinks about it! When I was growing up and started to find "me" I used Gwen Stefani as my role model. She doesn't care what people think of her, so why should I either? That's when I started to rock my own style and think differently.

Yes, I'm the girl who wears leather leggings, boots, and a jacket all at the same time. I'm also the girl who will wear as much sparkles as my little heart desires. I will blast No Doubt's music down my block at 8 a.m. in my car, and I will also wear high wasted shorts and huge gladiator sandals. That's just who I found myself to be. I don't care if you like it or don't. If I like something, I wear it to satisfy myself, no one else.

Regardless if Gwen will be solo forever, or if one day No Doubt will have a reunion tour, I'm always going to be fan. Gwen Stefani has taught me so many lessons in my years of growing up that I will always resort back to. It's a lot easier said than done to "be you" and it's not something that will happen over night. To remind myself of the impact Gwen has made on my life, I always look, really look at that poster framed on my wall. It's a reminder of who gave me the confidence to be who I am today from such a young kid, to now a young woman. She'll always be a part of my life no matter what.

This Thursday July 21, 2016 I will be sitting extremely close, if not first row, for Gwen Stefani's tour, This Is What The Truth Feels Like. It's been more than twelve years since I saw her in concert back in 2004, and I am nothing but ecstatic to see her for the third time in concert.

So, if you clicked on this link because you were even just a tiny bit curious as to why I admire Gwen Stefani the way that I do, then this is it! It's not a huge heartfelt story that will make you cry, but it's a piece of who I am, and who I'll always be. It's something that holds a strong value to myself and my self-worth.