How I left for Taylor Swift ticketless and 40-min later saw her perform
My most unbelievable manifestation story yet: how I got tickets to Taylor Swift’s sold-out Eras Tour after getting on a train to MetLife Stadium ticketless and without a prospect of getting one. Read on, or listen in, to hear a miraculous tale about not taking no for an answer, the power of desire, and unquestionable kindness. I hope this inspires you to believe, be brave, and be fearless in pursuing what you desire.
I’m guessing you know how big of a deal Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is. Everyone and their grandmother know about this show. Tickets are in such high demand that people are flying from out of state and country for the chance to see her perform. Resale prices only increase when she hits the stage. It’s unreal.
I knew this tour was going to be a generational triumph. Of all tours to see Taylor Swift this was it. Also, as a new mom, I wanted to dance, sing, and feel like myself again for one night. So I did everything I could for two days straight to get tickets and still came up empty-handed. Until I did the one thing that made the least sense and took the most physical effort. Keep reading to hear what happened.
Getting the lay of the land
It was Memorial Day weekend when Taylor Swift would perform at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and I was ticketless. There wasn’t even a glimmer of hope. On night one, resale prices didn’t drop below $1,000 even when the concert was half over. So I knew nights two and three would be the same.
The only way to stay within my budget was to catch a Ticketmaster drop and be fast enough to checkout. A drop is where they release new tickets, on the day of the show, that won’t be used by the artist’s team or production. It was clear this wasn’t going to happen with minimal effort. There were thousands of people searching the same way in possibly the biggest market of her whole tour.
This was the map I had open on my laptop with the sections marked that I wanted
I had to get real with myself: Did I want to exert the effort? Out of thousands why me? Why exert the effort only to be let down? Then I remembered when I was induced into early labor with my daughter and how I panicked. But then realized that not accepting the reality would only make the process more difficult. The same applied here.
So instead I said, “Why not me?” and then read these Lucky Girl Syndrome affirmations on Instagram. What sealed the deal was I knew I’d regret not seeing what happened if I didn’t give it my all. I rallied my energy, put my fearless glasses on, and didn’t look back.
We can’t do hard things alone
Now it’s 7:00 am on Saturday. I’m using an autorefresh extension on my browser to refresh Ticketmaster every 4 seconds. This would continue for nine hours straight. I took breaks to care for my 10-month-old.
When she’s down for a nap I get on Twitter and Discord to chat with other Swifties. We share tips and team up so if one of us found tickets we would give them to the other. I recruited my husband to refresh his laptop. Bless him. Then he watched the baby most of the day so I could zone in.
I also was checking 5 resale apps, posting on FB, and my networking groups, and even went to the bank to withdraw cash in case it came down to old-school scalping. Then my best friend Taryn started helping. Even though she’s not a Swiftie, she felt determined to see this dream of mine become a reality. She started looking in places I didn’t even think of, reached out to her network, and would lift me up when I started doubting myself.
A screenshot of the resale apps on my phone
This was when I realized: We can’t do hard things alone. Without a doubt, no one who’s done anything great did it alone. Not even Taylor. Listen to this podcast episode Acquired did about how Taylor Swift became who she is. It literally takes a village.
Had I kept my desire a secret I wouldn’t have learned all these ways to make the process easier or inspire others to help me. People want to help others rise when they let their desires be known.
Don’t take no for an answer
By the time it was 4 pm, nothing looked promising. A few times, tickets showed up on Ticketmaster and I was fast enough to add them to the cart. But by the time I checked out they were unavailable. Most likely because resalers used bots that were faster.
The time tickets became available. So excited!
Seriously excited now
Womp womp. Wasn’t fast enough.
Other times I was put in a virtual queue. Ticketmaster said I had 2000+ people ahead of me. So yeah.
Screenshot of me in the virtual Ticketmaster queue
The only thing I hadn’t tried was going to the venue. MetLife Stadium made it clear that you couldn’t get near the stadium without a ticket and strongly discouraged people from coming. That made me nervous. Then the idea of traveling alone and being unsure of what it would be like once I got there. All valid reasons to stay home. In my comfort zone.
But, I promised myself I would give this the fairest shot possible. So I got dressed in my pink sequin and fringe dress. The one I envisioned myself wearing months before the concert while I worked out to Taylor’s music and SAW myself dancing in the crowd. With my clear bag in hand full of snacks, a portable charger, and my AirPods, Matt and my daughter walked me to the subway, and off I went.
Me before I knew how the night would turn out
I get to Penn Station among the throngs of people boarding the train to New Jersey. Everyone was trying to enter the first two train cars. I felt like I needed to enter further down. I did and kept walking through the cars to find a spot to sit.
Tons of people are crowding the aisleways. Then I see this family: a mom, dad, and their daughter, a couple of years younger than me, sitting in a quad area that had one empty seat. I asked if I could sit there and they said yes.
This was when I fully surrendered. I did everything I could. Every possibility was exhausted except getting on the train. If the opportunity was meant to be mine it would show itself.
If not then I had a fun adventure, got to soak in the energy, and maybe get some merch. And someday I hoped my daughter would hear this story and see an example of being brave enough to try.
Miracles do happen
After five minutes the mom sitting diagonally from me said, “You must think our conversation is so ridiculous.” She, her husband, and her daughter were talking about various songs and what they were excited about. I said, “Actually the complete opposite. I enjoy hearing what you think and how excited you are.” They started folding me into the conversation.
The dad showed me this spreadsheet he created and printed out of all the songs Taylor will sing. He color-coded the ones he liked and then marked the ones that were his daughter’s favorite. He learned as many of the songs as possible before the show. Swiftie dads are the best.
Eventually, they learned I didn’t have a ticket. I told them I was nervous traveling here alone with a 10-month-old at home. That I was hoping to find a scalper to work with my budget. That really all I wanted was one night to dance and feel like myself again. The mom started crying. Then I did. She could relate to that feeling all too well.
Then she said, “Well we won’t go into the stadium until you find a ticket.” I told them I didn’t want to interrupt their experience but if they could help me find a scalper that would be amazing. We kept talking and meanwhile, the dad was scrolling on his phone.
Then he asked, “Can you spell your full name for me?” I did. Then he said, “Ok, and what’s your email?” That’s when I paused and started freaking out. I asked, “Sure but why?” That’s when I saw tears come down his face and he said “Because you’re going to the Taylor Swift concert. I got you a ticket near us.”
I started bawling. His daughter was crying and hugged me and said, “I’m so so happy for you”. His wife was crying and said, “We want you to feel like yourself tonight.” I literally couldn’t believe what was happening. I offered to pay them back what I would’ve paid someone else and he refused. So we got to the venue, walked in together, and the rest is history.
Me in my seat 15-minutes before show time
One of the best nights of my life
Lessons I learned
The whole night was magical. I cried multiple times not because of Taylor herself but because of the utter, unquestionable kindness of people who just met me. They didn’t know me but wanted me to feel like myself for one night. Then the energy of the stadium. The whole experience altered my brain chemistry.
With that, here are the lessons I took away from the whole experience. Because it’s not about me getting a Taylor Swift ticket. It is but it isn’t. This is about believing you can get what you want, becoming fearless in the pursuit of it, and becoming brave enough to put yourself in the way of opportunity. My opportunity was waiting on that train. What if I didn’t get on? How many of us have blessings and opportunities out there and all we have to do is get on the train? Here we go.
1. Desire is everything
When we really want something we act differently than when we don’t. Before I found my first job in music I put myself out there 24/7 and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Since that time I hadn’t felt the same determination about much else. This experience reminded me the fire is still within me.
The funny thing is the relentless effort felt energizing. It was light, fast, and caught momentum. I felt exhausted at certain points but it was an excited exhaustion. If we really want something that’s the energy we can invite. It’s a huge difference from doing something we force ourselves to do.
2. Willingness isn’t what you think
This was a big lesson in the willingness to receive. I didn’t fully understand that concept until now. Churches and thought leaders talk about being willing to receive. But few clarify this almost always means we still have to exert effort to put ourselves in the path of what we want.
Willingness doesn’t mean inaction. I exhausted all measures. Left no stone unturned. I was willing. Terrified but willing. What if it doesn’t work out?
Willingness doesn’t mean waiting to know the outcome before acting. It means taking action anyway. Even when it doesn’t guarantee we’ll get what we want. If the chance to go to that concert wasn’t for me then showing up wouldn’t have changed anything.
But at least I would sleep at night knowing I did everything I could. And would feel proud for being brave enough to try. Turns out that chance was meant for me. Thank goodness I got on that train, right?
Another key lesson: Many times the answer is the one that makes the least sense to the thinking brain. Getting on the train without a ticket made zero sense to me. Yet that’s where the miracle was waiting for me. If I did nothing all day except listen to that intuitive calling to get on the train I would’ve had the same outcome.
The amount of effort exerted for those two days was necessary for me to get on the train. It got me to the energetic level I needed to receive.
3. Manifesting isn’t passive
Manifesting is about putting ourselves in a position to receive the thing we want. That may require tweaking, learning, and trusting. Manifestation is a way of traveling not the destination. Every outcome we hope to get requires a certain level of commitment and action. Stepping up to the plate so to speak.
I started this journey with the bare minimum effort. Then it became clear I had to put in a little more. Then a little more. It was always my choice to quit.
The unknown is scary. Going to a stadium in New Jersey takes more effort than refreshing a computer screen. Even when I was on the train I had to let of any expectation of getting a ticket. At least I learned I can do hard things.
My thoughts were no longer obsessing over the outcome. Instead, I relaxed, soaked in the conversation happening around me, and became excited about the possibility. That’s when everything shifted. This was the perfect condition to attract what I wanted.
4. We don’t control anything
I did everything in my power to get what I wanted. In the end, it came in a way I could never plan or control. All we can do is prepare ourselves to receive. It’s not our job to decide how or who. It’s our job to get ready.
Just like I learned the tricks to finding tickets, dove into the communities, and stuck with it for 9 hours straight. As I kept getting into this flow of finding tickets the momentum got faster and faster. To the point where getting on the train didn’t seem that difficult.
It didn’t matter if I got the ticket or not. It didn’t matter if it was Taylor Swift or not. What mattered is I put myself on the path. You have to get on the train. You have to go to the city. You have to get on the computer.
You have to do whatever you can to put yourself in that blessing’s path. If I had decided to stay home I wouldn’t have been in the right place at the right time to receive the blessing the way I was supposed to receive it.
5. God cares about our desires
Even if it seems stupid to someone else. He wants us to be happy and uses the things we love as opportunities to not only love us but to grow us.
6. Clarity and passion summon support
When we have clear goals and are passionate about achieving them people want to help us! They sense the energy and feel inspired. They want to be a part of something bigger than themselves.
7. The Swiftie obsession goes beyond Taylor as a person.
Hearing the way fans talked about her was incredible. Someone on the subway, on my way home, who didn’t even go to the show, started telling me when and where he listens to certain Taylor albums. Then how he was determined to memorize every lyric of new songs she just released. It amazed me. She represents something for people.
Taylor gives people a place to gather, connect, and feel understood. Her fans are some of the nicest people I’ve met. That’s powerful. She leads that cause with power, confidence, and grace. I also recognize we impose these ideals on her. We don’t actually know her. She represents the possibility of who we can be. Of how we want to show up.
8. Believing what you have to say matters
Creativity and expressing ourselves matter. Art changes people. Imagine if Taylor didn’t believe what she had to say was worth anything. Thank goodness she did and now her craft helps millions feel understood and less alone. There’s magic in feeling that many people engrossed in the same thing at the same time. And it all started with one girl believing what she had to say mattered. 💗
Extra Resources
Podcast (2 hours): Taylor Swift (Acquired’s Version)
Instagram: Lucky Girl Syndrome affirmations
Affirmation
I am the luckiest person in the world. Opportunities come to me with ease.
Writing Prompt
Is there anything in my life I think I want but actually don’t? What is something I want that I could put more effort into?
