So I’ve been a Reba McEntire fan since I was a little girl… I loved her, adored her, and wanted to be like her. I’ve got proof by some of my old pics in high school when I tried to get the big red hair like her. Well things word in mysterious ways.

For the first time in my 26 years… I missed the Academy of Country Music Awards Tuesday night. When I was younger… I would plan my week around them! I would record them, analyze them, keep a notebook on who won, etc. (This was before the internet came into my life). Well… I missed them. I totally forgot about them until around 11:30, my mother yells at me and is like “Oh Shit, you forgot about the ACM’s!” I was heartbroken…

So yesterday I’m in my office working on my presentation for International Media tomorrow on Great Britian and the 80’s and 90’s music that came from there when my phone rings… It says Unknown so I don’t answer it… and then they call back, this time leaving a message. So I go check the message and it was this chick from the CMA’s…..

calling to let me know that I was the grand prize winner of a contest they had with Chevy (the official sponsor of the CMA Music Festival in June. I entered it a few weeks ago when I learned that Reba would be there and I totally forgot about it. I get to fly to Nashville, spend five days there, all of these VIP events, a private tour of the stars’ tour buses, private songwriter/singer acoustic concerts, and a 4 day pass to the CMA Festival. I called Penni freaking out and I call my Mom freaking out. I knew my Mom wouldn’t go… so I asked Penni to go with me.

Then we realize something…. there’s no money involved. They supply a way for us to and from the airport to the hotel but that’s it. No ground transportation while we’re there and no money to eat on. I don’t work ANY this month b/c the game room is closed, the last big check I got from work went on bills (although I have like 70 bucks in there right now but that’s gas money for the rest of Maymester) and that’s it. I won’t be getting my excess check from school until the end of June. Penni won’t have any money b/c she’s going to Charlotte next week as planned and so she’s not going to have much, if any at all.

So I’m waiting for the travel agency to call me to set up everything. My mom says we’re going, me and Penni, if she has to go borrow money from somewhere and use her Social Security Check to give me money to use. I don’t want her to do that because we pay bills with that money. I started crying last night when I realized it because I’ve always wanted to attend Fan Fair (what the CMA Festival used to be called). If this had happened to me when I was 15 or 16, I would have passed out and the teenager who wants to be the next Reba McEntire that’s still inside of me wants to go… wants to experience it… wants to see Josh Gracin agan and Rascal Flatts and Carrie Underwood and Bucky Covington (Bucky Penni!) and Kellie Pickler and Alan Jackson and Martina McBride and Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert and Vince Gill and Julie Roberts and all the other stars who I’ve more or less already seen before but want to see again… not to mention her…. my idol… Reba.

I know people say I’m lucky as hell but really I’m not. I work my ass off for this I get or people I meet. The Daytona working experience was pure luck because I had already shown Walt that I was serious about persuing video and television work, specifically in sports by working my ass off and asking questions and learning. I work my ass off to save money to go to races so I can meet drivers or go to concerts or shit to meet singers. I haven’t had a very lucky life at all and this is what I want and what I need and with Jenny and Kim in Charlotte today (Cale Gale, who they know, gave them a private tour of Kevin Harvick, Inc) and Penni going next week and I could have gone with them both but couldn’t…. I need this trip or else I may break down like nobody has ever seen before. I’ve been strong, giving things up for the better good and for my education and being responsible… but I want this… the 15 year old in me needs this.

Tagged with: Adventures • Music • Personal