I had so much fun on my solo adventure to attend the Andrea Bocelli concert, and I wanted to give you a follow-up to last week’s newsletter. If you missed it, read Courage for the Scary Things.
I shared the evening and what it meant on social, too, and I’ve loved hearing from so many of you. I knew when I hit “send” that some readers might think, What’s the big deal? Just go to a concert alone. And maybe, for some people, it wouldn’t be a big deal at all.
One of my male readers confessed he didn't understand why a date night with self could be hard, but then he imagined it might feel different for a woman going downtown alone at night.
Actually, he named all the things.
It wasn’t just about buying a ticket. It was about spending that kind of money on
myself.
It was about logistics: timing, parking, walking—all the unknowns.
I don’t know the ins and outs of where to park for different venues. I had no idea what traffic would be like, or how early I should leave, considering my long drive from the woods.
I didn’t know if I’d be walking alone from a parking garage or surrounded by people. I didn’t know how far I’d have to walk on a very cold night, and had to factor that into what I wore.
I didn't know who I'd be sitting next to, but I prayed for kind seat neighbors so I wouldn’t feel awkward or lonely.
It felt like a
lot.
And yet.
I can’t even tell you how much ease filled that night. Gift after gift!
Gift #1 Unknown timing leads to sunset
departure
I left in plenty of time—about thirty minutes later than I originally planned because, truthfully, I realized I didn’t really know when I needed to leave. The timing ended up being perfect. The sun was setting as I headed out, and because I wasn’t rushed, I pulled over and soaked in golden hour. I even stopped to take a few photos. Maybe that
was a tiny bit of procrastination. But it was also joy.
Gift #2 Unknown timing leads to zero traffic
The drive into Nashville was smooth. An hour and fifteen minutes with almost no traffic. I didn’t hit congestion until I exited I-40 onto Broadway, and even that moved quickly.
Gift #3 Trusting my gut (and pre-plan) leads to best parking
I passed a parking lot with plenty of open spaces and almost pulled in. It would have been easy. But something didn’t feel quite right. I trusted my gut and kept driving.
I had originally planned to park at the Music City Center garage, even though it was hard to tell from the map how close it really was. As it turns out? It was catty-corner to the venue. Practically perfect.
Gift #4 Taking too long to hit "confirm" led to great seat-neighbors and losing pre-paid parking with a 6-block walk
When I bought my ticket on Ticketmaster, it prompted me to pre-pay
$28 for event parking. I assumed most event parking would be higher than that, so I selected it. But I didn't check out quickly enough. I lost that seat and had to start the booking process over. I chose a different seat and completely forgot to add the pre-paid parking.
What a blessing!
Instead of being a six-minute walk away, I parked almost directly across the street — and paid $25 at the garage. Sometimes the small inconveniences are
actually little gifts in disguise.
The third hurdle: more resistance
Buying the ticket was the first big hurdle. Leaving the house was the second. But the third came once I was parked inside the garage.
I sat there.
“Get out of the car,” I told myself. “Get out of the car.”
One of you—a devoted reader—had commented about my social post, cheering me on. I messaged back and admitted I was sitting in the garage, trying to gather the courage to continue my date night with myself. Encouragement came through the screen, and I committed to get out of the car.
And I did.
Gift #5 Safe "friends" to walk with
Immediately I noticed two women nearby — a daughter helping her elderly mother walk. I decided to follow them, guessing they might be headed to the concert. I heard the younger woman say, “Let’s just follow the crowd. They’ll show us where to go.”
That sounded like wisdom to me.
Soon we joined a larger group and made
our way to the entrance just around the corner from the garage. It was surprisingly easy. I had arrived early, and the line was minimal.
Another tiny hurdle
Because I’ve never used Ticketmaster before, or not in a long time, I ran into a small hiccup. I bought my ticket on my desktop computer and hadn’t brought my newly created password. It said the ticket would be in my email. It wasn’t. So there I stood, on a cold night, stepping out of line to reset my password and log in on my phone.
Another small hurdle. Another thing I handled.
Gift #6 They didn't take my apple
I had checked ahead of time to confirm I could carry a purse, because I remembered when venues required clear bags only. What I
didn’t know was that my purse would go through security-like airport screening.
And yes, it got flagged.
I was a little worried. I am the kind of woman who could survive a minor wilderness emergency using only the contents of her purse. Years ago, I won a Christmas party game for having the most random items on a scavenger list — bobby pins, band aid, paper clip, emery board, a receipt, library card ... you name it, I've probably got it. I
sure hoped I didn't have a box cutter. (I didn't, whew!)
I remembered I had an apple in there I’d forgotten to remove.
Security went through my bag, section by section. Everything was fine. They even let me keep the apple.
Gift #7 Perfect seat neighbors
When I reached my seat, I felt a rush of excitement. After all the hesitation of which section to
choose, and losing the first seat I tried to buy, my seat was perfect with a fantastic view. A couple sat down to my right, and they were incredibly kind. As we chatted, I learned they work in marketing for authors and artists. (Seriously.) They had recently moved from California to a 12-acre property in Watertown and were loving rural life.
We had plenty to talk about.
On my left sat a young woman about my son’s age. She was there
to support her friend, the piano player in the concert. She herself was a singer, and together they perform contemporary worship music at churches — my everyday favorite.
I had prayed for good seat neighbors.
Provision.
And then the music began...
Gift #8 Incredible show
Andrea Bocelli’s voice is a finely- tuned instrument. The symphony was extraordinary. A full choir—twelve women and twelve men—filled the stage. There were even ballet dancers interpreting the songs, something I hadn’t known to expect. Lauren Daigle's guest appearance was fabulous.
And then another surprise: Pia Toscano!! Remember her from American Idol years ago? She was my favorite back then, and I remember feeling shocked when she was eliminated. Seeing her perform live with her "Celine Dion" powerhouse vocals was an unforgettable gift.
Have you ever felt so overwhelmed with gratitude that you can’t stop smiling? I smiled most of the night. Or cheered. Or simply sat there in awe.
Gift #9 Courage creates expansion
More than once I thought, I could do this again. I could definitely do this again. I will do this again!
Sometimes the hardest part is simply doing something for the very first time.
We have to accept there will be unknowns. But there will also be provision. I had everything I needed—and more.
When the concert ended, I followed the crowd back to the garage, never once feeling
afraid. After a little traffic exiting the garage, the long drive home was easy.
I did end up catching a cold afterward. But honestly? It was worth it. It forced me to slow down and rest—and gave me extra time to savor
the quiet victory of having done something brave.
It feels good to be brave.
If you’ve been wanting to do something but haven’t because it felt like too much money, too many unknowns, or too easy to talk yourself out of—consider this your nudge.
Life is short.
It’s time to seize the moment and live.
If you have stories of your own—the thing you did even though it scared you, or the things you want to do but are building up the courage—I would love to hear them. Please share in our Facebook group.
