CMA Awards!!
Around this time last year, it occurred to me how incredibly close Vanderbilt is to the CMA Awards that take place at Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville every year. I vowed that someday, I would take advantage of that and actually go to the awards, instead of just lusting over the idea for the next three years.
About two weeks ago, I received an email from Vanderbilt Programming Board titled “Win Tickets to the CMAs!” Practically giddy, I filled out the entry form and prayed I’d get picked. (I also had five of my friends enter as well, all listing me as their guest of choice…) The next week, the verdict was in: I did not win. Nor did any of my friends. I shrugged off the disappointment and moved on–still praying desperately for some chance that I’d somehow get to go for free.
This past Tuesday, while I was at work in the admissions office here at Vandy, my friend Carly called me–Ellen Degeneres was in town, and she was giving away CMA tickets! Now, I love Ellen, so this idea was doubly enticing. But it wasn’t meant to be. I had work and soccer practice back to back, so I wasn’t able to get downtown for the chance to win tickets. (turns out, Ellen wasn’t even actually there. phew.)
Feeling defeated, Carly and I resigned ourselves to playing fan-girls and planned on going to the red carpet a few hours before the show, in hopes of catching a glimpse of one of the country stars. On Wednesday around noon I was sitting in the Last Drop Coffee Shop when I got a call from one of my AOII sisters–she had two extra tickets for the CMAs, and asked if Carly and I wanted to go!! (the answer was obviously yes.) So after work, we got all dressed up and went to the CMAs!! It was so incredible–definitely one of the most awesome experiences I’ve had since coming to Vanderbilt.
So in the end, I’m glad I didn’t end up winning that VPB raffle! The way that I ended up going was so unexpected and so exciting that I’m glad it happened exactly the way it did.
