Jane on change: that time I almost went to a concert alone

Last week I went to an outdoor Mumford and Sons concert -- which was incredible, pictures below! -- with a new friend of mine down here. We decided to go together last minute but during the days leading up to it I was really close to going alone.

A few days before the show I had an over-dramatic text conversation with another friend of mine, who is also in a new city so she understands what it’s like, though she’s there for law school so it’s a slightly different experience. We talked for a while about whether or not I should do it. Tickets were cheap-ish and I had missed seeing Mumford the past two times they were in DC which I continued to kick myself for. These were some of the factors that clearly screamed, “do it!”

The downside was of course that I would be in an awesome setting, surrounded by hundreds of people, but without anyone with whom to personally share and enjoy the experience. This is a classic feeling I know people can have when they are all by themselves in a really big city like New York City, surrounded by thousands of people, but never feeling more alone.

I was lucky that a few days before the concert I was grilling out with some friends and after the third time I causally (aka it probably was not all that causal) mentioned the upcoming concert/asked if anyone was going or wanted to go, one of the guys there said yes. We exchanged numbers and ended up getting tickets the next day.

As we were leaving the concert I told him that I had been considering going alone. Walking out of the park we tried to imagine what it would have been like for me. We agreed it would have been awkward. And while it would have been do-able I was glad that I didn’t go alone. Truth told I am not sure I would have had fun.

I was hoping that during the show I would have realized that yes, I could have in fact gone on my own and had a blast. Maybe I would have met new people or had a romantic encounter on a blanket with an attractive southern guy who I would start dating, marry, and have the most amazing story for my children of how their mother and father met (sorry, unrelated twenty-something girl fantasy). But I think I would have just stood awkwardly by myself in the back. I would have been so preoccupied with appearing as if I was waiting for someone since I would be utterly convinced that everyone around me would be wondering what the cute, little blonde girl was doing at a concert by herself when in reality no one would have cared, or probably even noticed.

Even though I want there to be no hurdles to moving to a new place provided that you’re open enough, the fact of the matter is that there are. You just have to do your best to find ways around them. Put yourself out there, try new things, and at the end of the day you’ll find a way to make it all -- or at least what you really want -- work.

Now a few pics...