I’ve been anxiously waiting for almost 3 months to be able to go see the So You Think You Can Dance tour show in Milwaukee. But this wasn’t some weekend matinee, no, it was a one night show on a Wednesday night, located 3 hours away from where I work and live.
And yes, I did work that day.
And yes, I did have to work the next day too.
But so what? I work every weekday. Besides, it’s not like SYTYCD tours every year, or with the same people, or has the same routines on the show. It’s not like I go see shows every night or even every month. With a once-in-a-lifetime moment like this (because Season 7 was my favorite season), I wanted to seize the opportunity of having a spectacular night. To live it up. Hype it up. If that involved 6 hours of driving in one night, I was willing to do it.
I worked a part-day that day, managed to take off a little after 1:30 pm, which was great because that gave me enough time to grab dinner with Koko at Cheesecake Factory around 4:30 pm where we attempted to finish the Chocolate Tower Truffle Cake along with our dinner (we failed miserably by the way).
It was nearing twilight as we took a very scenic cruise through Lake Shore Drive where we ogled the large beautiful houses made of bricks and stones, with private black top drive-thrus and big grand front door entrances. We even stopped at an amazing spot above Bradford Beach where you could see a blue Lake Michigan stretching as far as the eye can see, to meet the sky on the horizon.
When we made it to downtown Milwaukee, it was around 6:15 pm. Street parking was full, the parking structure closest to the Bradley Center, where the show was held at, was charging $20. Yes, I thought that sounded pretty ridiculous too. We managed to find $5 event parking 10 blocks away – and that wouldn’t have been so bad except the whole state of Wisconsin was experiencing a freak of weather of high winds and mid-30s degree type of temperature. Then again, it helped Koko and I snuggle even closer together! Hee hee.
On our walk towards the Bradley Center, we made a quick stop at Old German Beerhouse where I downed my first shot of Goldschlager with Koko – my first bit of alcohol since last January too. I thought the drink would have a metallic taste because of the gold flakes in it but nope, just tasted like a super-concentrated Big Red gum. Then, it was time to skedaddle to make it to the show.
By the way, the show was Amazing. See for yourself (the youtube video). I was already familiar with 85% of what was danced on stage – but they were all some of my favorite routines so I didn’t mind watching them again. I cheered at the beginning, middle, and end of all the great routines which ended up being just about all of them. I’m surprised I didn’t end up with a sore throat or that my voice didn’t give out half way through the night!
The show itself was 3 hours long. Koko treated me to a SYTYCD tee shirt to commemorate the evening – and to help feed my obsession with SYTYCD, I bet. Boy, the night seemed magical because one moment I was doing work at the office in a town surrounded by woods and farmlands and the next, I was in the city having a fantastic dinner and show. So sad I couldn’t stay in the city overnight, instead, I made the 3 hour drive back home and collapsed into bed at 2am.
What this night has taught me:
It’s awesome to have a full night of fun and new experiences.
But not all nights have to be action-packed. There are days that you need to take it easy on yourself, to relax and enjoy a quiet time. Having too much action may burn your candle at both ends.
But you should not have to wait for an excuse to have an exciting evening either. Don’t wait for a holiday or your birthday or some type of special occasion. If you want to have a brilliant evening, then go out and celebrate your want for a great evening. Permit yourself to have a lot of fun, do whatever it is you want that night, drive the extra miles if you have a certain place you want to go.
And make the most of your evening out, live in the moment, relish on how fantastic the present surrounding is. Don’t worry so much about ‘being on schedule’ or doing things ‘according to plan’.
How do you live an evening on full throttle?
Do the things you want to do or are interested in. This may be things you’ve never tried before but interested in like crewing a sailboat, or something you’ve done a million times like go out for ice cream and a walk. Just stack up a whole bunch of ideas of things you want to accomplish for that evening and go about getting it done. For instance, how about a game of bowling, grab some pizza for dinner, head over to the movies, and topping the night with a toast of white wine at a local pub with two of your best friends? But this particular point isn’t as important as the next one, which is …
Enjoy every possible moment. Be happy and ignore all the stupid inconsequential stuff of life. Is the weather a little cold? So what, it means you get to snuggle up with someone that much closer! Did someone bump into you? Ignore it … move on. Focus on the fun. You can either decide that a bad mood will dictate your night or that a good mood will dictate your night, it is your choice.
Be with others who will boost your mood. It is great fun to have others to share experiences with. But beware that not all company is equal – if you have the choice, choose those who can have fun or is at least receptive to having fun and enjoying him/herself.
If you have no other choice though, then refer back to point TWO. Stop worrying about the inconsequential small bad things and focus on the good. Enjoy yourself, amidst people with foul moods. Or else, enjoy a great evening alone.
Be outwardly enthusiastic no matter how lame you think you look. The more you show your enthusiasm for a great night, the more it’ll pump up your excitement and enjoyment of the night. Ever heard of fake it till you make it? It really does work – so long as you remain open minded.
At the start of the SYTYCD show, I actually felt a little reserved. I was a bit self-conscious on what others would think of me if I did what I wanted, which was to scream my head off out of excitement and to show my appreciation and love for the show. Would they think I’m a complete looney and improper? But then I thought, “Who really cares?” All I know was that if I didn’t enjoy myself to my full capacity, the only one who would miss out or regret it would be me. So yes, I got over myself and screamed, waved my arms wildly, and every time I did so, I felt awesome.
In fact, laugh out loud at yourself. If things don’t go as you had planned, don’t feel bad. Laugh and go along with it, or change your plans. That day I was driving to Milwaukee was particularly windy, and I had worked hard at making my hair look great, but after two steps outside, the wind blew my hair into a million and one directions. I couldn’t help but laugh at myself in the predicament because fixing it would have been futile and useless so I just let the wind do its job. Ended up with an incredible tousled look.
