I know, seeing a Taylor Swift concert isn't appealing to a lot of people. Her music isn't especially extraordinary in many senses, but she is able to do one thing better than almost any other artist of her genre. Through her music she can tap into every stream of emotion and crazy feeling that almost every girl experiences growing up. Whether it be anger, heart-break, life's simple pleasures, or the exciting rush of finding love I can guarantee you that there is a Taylor Swift song to match. And for those of us who have fallen shamelessly in love with her songs, seeing her in concert would be the absolute climax. With these opportunities on the table, I booked a flight to Madrid and bought a ticket to see Taylor Swift live.
I ended up flying to Madrid with my friend Alexa and we were lucky enough to have been able to stay with her friends in their apartment which made budgeting for the trip much easier. We also met up with our friend Becky, another fellow Taylor Swift junky who would be my date to the concert.
The city of Madrid itself was a Spanish metropolitan beauty. The buildings were tall, white, and architecturally designed in a manner I had yet been exposed to. Although Bologna is a pretty big city, it is nothing compared to the size of Madrid. I had forgotten what it felt like to be in a city of that size. I'm used to relying on walking to get me just about everywhere I need to go, and in Madrid we quickly learned that becoming familiar with the metro system was an invaluable tool to getting around the city. Although we also did our fair share of walking as we ambled throughout the streets exploring the vastness of the city.
Among the many sights to see we visited Plaza Mayor, toured the Reina Sofia Museum, ate numerous tapas, chilled in the enormous Parque de Retiro, saw La Puerta del Sol, and enjoyed being exposed to a culture I had yet to confront.
Amidst the blur and excitement that comes with being thrown into a new city (and for the first time in my life feeling strangely out of place because people weren't speaking Italian), the night of the Taylor Swift concert approached and I could barely contain my excitement. We scored killer seats on the "pista" for a price we would have easily had to pay three times as much for in the States. I sang (aka screamed) along to every song and the rush of energy and elation I felt couldn't have been topped. I was completely and utterly enchanted. The Taylor Swift high persisted for hours after the concert ended and I cannot tell you how many times I found myself thinking "I can't believe I am here right now."
My first trip outside of Italy not only left me with a feeling of nostalgia for the Spanish language (which I have almost entirely forgotten since I last studied it in high school) but also made me realize how comfortable I had become speaking Italian on an every day basis. It was the first time that I was overcome with the sensation of missing Bologna, my new home. Because despite how wonderful my trip to Madrid had been, I couldn't wait to set foot back in Bologna.
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