Tag: art

Let’s go to Paradise

Hola everyone.

And welcome to another Monday. I hope you’re all doing good and that you had an amazing weekend. I for my part am pretty tired and sore because I went climbing yesterday with my parents, which, despite me having no strength left at all, was absolutely fantastic and so much fun. But even more so, I am honestly in the best mood ever right now, because now, in two days, I’ll already be getting ready in our hotel in Budapest to go to Sziget. In two freaking days. I can’t believe it. And as my excitement is that big, I thought I’d tell you a bit about this phenomenal festival – or how I like to call it, the Disneyland for music lovers.

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If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll probably know what Sziget is, as I basically never shut up about it. It was my very first festival I ever attended, back in 2015, and, without exaggeration, I fell in love with it the moment my mum and I got there. It really felt like a dream, stepping onto this island full of exciting music and fantastic people. God, I loved it so much. And ever since then my mum and I have been trying to find a reason to go back every single year (sometimes the not so well-fitting lineups hindered us). We just adore it so much. And now, in 2019, the festival finally gave us another reason, after last year, to once again step back into paradise. And this time for a whole week. Yes, you read that right. A whole week. I would be lying if I said that I’m not a teeny tiny bit nervous about the one-week aspect, simply because I know how draining festivals can be. But in a good way, obviously. Once you’re a bit deaf and sound a bit croaky, that’s when you’ve reached the good kind of exhaustion. Exhaustion that comes from music and happiness.

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And I have to say, this year’s lineup is basically the organisers thinking “who would Laura like to see the most?” and then booking those very same people. I mean, come on. Ed, Marty, Twenty One Pilots, The 1975, Florence and The Machine, Kodaline, Catfish and the Bottlemen and Boy Pablo? Might as well just put everyone from my favourites playlist on. It’s absolutely crazy. Especially as Ed, Marty and TOP are my all-time top three and now I’m really going to see all of them within the space of one week. Absolutely mind-blowing. I get happy/nervous tingles whenever I think about it. I’m just so damn excited, holy moly.

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Obviously, as soon as I get back, I’ll tell you everything about the whole week. And I’ll of course also include the ultimate highlight, the one high note the whole trip will end on – my tattoo appointment. I’m not going to lie, I really tend to forget about it, simply because the whole week at Sziget in itself is so sensational that the prospect of getting a new tattoo on top is on the verge of being too much. In the best way ever, obviously, but still. And do you want to know what the best part about that is? I’ll get the tattoo, which is inspired by the one and only Twenty One Pilots, not even 24 hours after having seen them live. If that’s not the cherry on top, then I don’t know what is. Also, my mum and I want to try to get as close to the front as possible for their set on Tuesday, so I might just get to hold Ty with the very same arm I’ll get the tattoo on. Doesn’t that sound absolutely perfect? I’m already so in love with the idea. Watch me wait for hours at the front in the glaring sun just to hold him up during Trees. It would totally be worth it though, let’s be honest. The whole week will be an absolute dream, I can already tell. Can’t wait.

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You can probably guess that I, unfortunately, won’t be able to post anything until Monday in two weeks, as I’ll be at Sziget. But you can already put down the date on your calendars guys because that post will be a hell of a ride. A “Sziget was freaking unbelievable / I held Ty’s hand / look at my new tattoo” hell of a ride. And I can’t wait to write it and for you to read it. But until then, let Sziget and the most fantastic week come around and regarding all of you guys, I wish you lovely two weeks and thanks for reading. x

Power to the local dreamer

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to another Monday and another week. I hope so far you’ve had a great day and that you’re doing good. Today I’d like to talk about something very special – how the move to the UK and my time there and basically the aspect of living my dream has influenced me personally and my view of life. I know, it might sound a bit philosophical now, but, actually, I want this to be a story of a dreamer. Of us, I daresay.

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First of all, I obviously need to say that moving to Brighton and attending BIMM was definitely one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Yes, it was a big and quite scary step. Far away from home, completely on my own and surrounded by strangers. And yes, it was difficult when I first got there, but I knew that it would get better. And I knew that it was what I needed to do in order to get one step closer to my dream. My goal. And that’s actually the easiest way to get through something – if you’ve got something to actually work for, something to look forward to. It might not make the stones in your way smaller, but you’ll grow a tiny bit bigger.

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And it all paid off because in a matter of two months, I was already at a place I never thought I’d get to in such a short amount of time. There I was, living in the UK for the very first time, on my own, and living my dream. Interviewing musicians, going to one concert after another, actually becoming a part of the music industry. The risk had paid off.

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I often talk to my friend Leni about how the whole trip influenced me. And all I can say is that it taught me to firstly value myself and secondly my dreams. And to fight for them, no matter how crazy they might sound. I would’ve never believed that I would manage to actually be stuck in a room with Hippo freaking Campus for over an hour. Or that I would get to hug Tom after seeing him live for the very first time and doing an interview with him. It all would’ve sounded way too crazy for me if someone would’ve told me about it a few years ago. But it all happened. And it did because I was willing to fight for it and try my best to reach all of my goals.

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And now that I’m back home, I get to really digest everything that happened and I noticed that after having been at that point of total happiness, of living the dream, there’s simply no way I can go back. I now know what it feels like to do the one thing you were always meant to do, you always dreamt about doing, and for me, there’s no way back now. And that’s totally fine. Even when I’ll be growing old, I don’t want to look back and just see this as the phenomenal time I had while being at uni. That’s just not how it goes. Because that’s simply not who I am. Not anymore, at least. I want the dream to become my life. Permanently.

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I often see people just walking around, living their life, not complaining much but also not doing anything overly exciting. They’re simply alive, doing what they’re supposed to do, earning the money they need to stay afloat and once in a while, they go on holiday or a weekend trip and that’s when they’re free and get to feel alive. And I don’t mean to sound like that’s something bad. I know people who’re extremely happy with their lives like that. They just have other dreams and goals than I do. Or than some other people.

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I remember back in school when my teachers would ask me what I wanted to do when I’m older and I always said that I wanted to move abroad, to London. I was 16. And I definitely received more than one strange look from my classmates after saying this. Because, at the age of 16, having the ultimate goal of moving abroad simply sounds strange. And crazy. But I really meant it. And still, I kind of thought that I was a bit weird, maybe also a bit delusional. Because I had never met anyone with the same ambitions as me. Maybe I was crazy.

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But then I moved to Vienna and met one dreamer after another. People like me, who also had those crazy dreams they were fighting for with all their power and will. And then I met Leni and now we’re moving to London together. We are doing exactly the one thing nobody ever really believed we would truly accomplish. But now that we have that, it’s “go bigger or go home”. Especially for me. I want to wake up every day happy about the fact that I get to go to work. I don’t want to always think “oh, I’m going to be happy or going to do that once I get home or once the weekend is here”. That’s not what I want from life. I mean, what a total waste of time. Why can’t we all be happy all the time? I mean, of course, we can’t, because we’re humans and we’ve all got our problems and struggles, but still. And after all this time, I think it’s more than okay to ask these questions. Because we all deserve to be happy with the life we are living.

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I know, this really turned into a huge philosophical post now (sorry), but that’s kind of what has been floating through my head the past weeks. Maybe because I miss the craziness that was BIMM and doing interviews and rushing from show to show. Another reason why I can’t wait to be back. But I think it’s also because I notice how more and more people are now actively ready to fight for their dreams. And I think that’s so damn important. One of my friends decided to move to London with Leni and me. Another one started a new program at university to fulfil her passion. And my mum quit her job and just started her own company. They all did what they had to do in order to be happy and I’m so damn proud of that. Some people might have told them that they are taking way too many risks or that it could all go wrong. And of course it could. But they’re all still here and probably happier than they were before. And isn’t that the most important part?

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What I want to say: it’s totally alright to want more from life. To dream big. To fight for what you believe in. To take risks in order to be happy. Do whatever you need to do in order to be happy. Seriously. It will all work out, I promise. Power to the local dreamer (yes, that’s a Twenty One Pilots line and, yes, I had to add that in).

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And with that I’m going to end today’s post. I hope that some of you could get a bit of reinforcement and strength out of my words. If any of you want to talk, please don’t hesitate to comment down below. And until then I wish you all a lovely week and thanks for reading. x

My favourite photographers

Hola everyone.

How are you all doing today? First of all, I want to apologize for not posting anything this Monday. I won’t tell you a big, long story of why I didn’t write anything, because, in the end, it all comes down to the fact that in the past few weeks, I haven’t really been that well, emotionally. Which then caused a massive lack of motivation, inspiration and creativity. So, that’s why I didn’t post anything. I just didn’t know what to write. But I’ve been trying to get better, crawl out of the hole I’m in – or was in, hopefully – and I’m sure just writing this now will help me with that. It’s always about getting back up again, right?

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My friend always tells me that I live in extremes. When I’m happy, I’m basically the happiest person on earth. It’s like I’m wearing pink glasses. Everything feels like I’m in a dream and high up in the clouds, far away from any worries or stress. And frankly, it’s the best feeling ever. But I can fall just as steeply and massively once I get out of my clouds. Because when I’m sad, I’m really really sad. The kind of sad where I can just break out into tears at any point, whenever I feel like it. So, I’m either extremely happy or extremely sad. With me, there simply is no in-between. And right now, I’m trying my best to push myself off the ground, out of my hole of worries and angst, so I can get back up to my clouds, where I usually spent most of my life (thank god).

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So, yeah, that’s kind of the project right now. Thankfully, my family and friends have been trying their best to help me as well and I’ve been directing my attention more and more to the prospect of attending Sziget festival in less than two weeks and then getting my new tattoo. I honestly cannot wait to finally get there again. To see Ed and Marty and Ty and Josh and all of these other super amazing bands and artists. For a whole freaking week. Can you believe that? I’m really going to a festival, for a whole week. Seven days of pure excitement and fantastic music. I can’t wait.

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Okay, but now enough of that. My big life story isn’t why we are all here today. No, no. Today, we’ve come together to once again celebrate the amazingness that is photography and the awesome artists behind the lenses. Last time we had the phenomenal Brad Heaton (click me) and today will be all about the one and only Will Darbyshire. Some of you, who’ve been following my blog for a long while now, will probably recognize the name from some of my previous posts. Will has always been one of my biggest inspirations and idols when it comes to photography (I’d actually do quite lots of crazy stuff to get to his level of talent) and he just continues to blow me away with every single picture. So, here’s to Will and the heavens he creates.

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As you can probably guess, Will is a super amazing filmmaker and photographer from London. He works online predominately, posting his pictures on his website and Instagram account and making videos on YouTube, which is also how I got to know him. Basically, his videos are nothing but a short holiday trip for the mind, without you having to even leave your house, and I fell in love with him and his talent the moment I saw his channel. I think, out of all his different videos, the one about his trip to New Zealand has to be my favourite one. I could watch it over and over again and I’d still love it to pieces. And I don’t think I have to add that it always makes me want to travel to NZ as well. I mean, just look at it. How dreamy does that place look? Oh my god.

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But, obviously, Will’s talent doesn’t just show through his clips. I mean, he really is a fantastic filmmaker, but his photos. Just wow. Somehow he manages to make his pictures look both super minimalistic and chill and extremely sophisticated and luxurious. In short, he takes the pictures I want to take. I simply admire his aesthetic. But I’ll just let his photos do the talking now. Please enjoy.

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Obviously, I can just recommend all of you guys to check Will out. For the bookworms among you, he also wrote a book a few years ago, where he collected letters from people from all across the globe. You can probably guess that it’s absolutely beautiful and totally worth to check it out. So, I can really recommend that. And, as always, please let me know your thoughts and I wish you all a nice week and thanks for reading. x

New Music Friday

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to another Friday. And, also, to another episode of our all-time favourite series – the New Music Friday. Amazing, new and exciting music that you can relax and/or get hyped to. Music that you can fall in love with. Could there be any better way to start off the weekend? I don’t think so.

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As the last New Music post was done at the end of May, you can probably imagine the huge bulk of music I’ve collected over the past two months. I don’t think the list has ever been that long. But I’m honestly so so so happy I get to share all these fantastic songs with you guys. There’s so much waiting for you to discover. Ed just released his new collab-album, or as he calls it, his new project. Amber Run are back in the game. Two Door Cinema Club also moved on to their new phase with their new LP. Tyler still owns my heart with his reconstructed versions of some songs. And Hippo Campus blessed us all by releasing all their demos. I mean, what more could you wish for? The more music, the better. So, let’s jump right in and please enjoy.

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Antisocial – Ed Sheeran ft. Travis Scott

To say that this new album and also this new song blew my mind would be a huge understatement. I mean, we all know Ed and his typical style of music. You get the idea. Good. Now throw all of that away. Because “No.6 Collaborations Project” is anything but what you would expect to hear from Ed. And that’s exactly what makes it this good. Especially the last song, “Blow”, with Bruno Mars and Chris Stapleton is absolutely mind-boggling. I was so shocked when I listened to it for the first time. Actually, I think I’m still a bit shocked. I won’t spoil the surprise, just listen to it yourself.

But that’s not the song I want to share on this list. It’s “Antisocial”, with Travis Scott, featuring the weirdest music video ever. I still have no idea what’s going on or what the idea behind it was. I just know that I absolutely love the song and its vibe. That’s a hype up song right there. Well freaking done, Ed. And Travis.

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Affection – Amber Run

Ever since hearing “I Found” by this absolutely amazing band, I’ve been attached to them and their music. Joe, their lead singer, has such an incredible, distinct voice that I really don’t know how to describe it. They are just one of those bands that you listen to whenever and wherever and their music will always be great and make you feel good. Which is also why I’m so damn happy that they’re back with new music. I honestly can’t wait to see them live. Finally.

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Wallflower – Larkins

This is one of my newest finds, but I’m so happy I stumbled upon it. You know, every single year, when the weather gets nicer and everyone starts to cheer up and the sun tries to burn you alive once in a while, I try to look for a few perfect summer hits. And this right here is one of them. While listening to it, I can already see myself lying in the sun in my garden or on my way to a festival. It’s pure summer.

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So Many People – Two Door Cinema Club

Oh, how I long I’ve waited for this album to come out. And I have to say, although it has some ups and downs, I’m so damn glad the guys are back in the game and doing exactly what they want and love. Some people might say that compared to their last album “Gameshow”, their new “False Alarm” isn’t really much of a change, but I don’t think so. And this song right here proves it. TDCC never fail to grow. Nor to make me love them even more.

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Runaway – Half Alive

Sometimes I’d really love to give YouTube a big thank-you-kiss on the cheek. Because if it wasn’t for this amazing platform, I would’ve never found this band and I would’ve never gotten the chance to listen to this beautiful song and watch this stunning music video. If you aren’t a fan of this band already, you definitely need to check out this song and all their other stuff. They’ve got big things ahead of them, I just know it. And I’ll be right with them to experience it all.

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Superlike – The Academic

Well, well, well, as if we weren’t here just about a year ago. A year has passed since I found this band and fell in love with their music. Since I saw them live and then loved them even more. Now, a year later, nothing has changed. I still love them. I still want to see them live again. And they still manage to release absolute hits you can easily get addicted to. They just know exactly what they’re doing and this song shows that. I’m not going to make the really bad pun and say I superlike it… but I do superlike it.

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What I like – Archie Faulks

Another one of my newest additions to the list and a slow one as well for a change. As far as I can tell, Archie is one of those artists who’s are just getting started and I’m already so excited to see where his path will go.

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Chlorine & My Blood (Reconstruct Versions) – Twenty One Pilots

Honestly, guys, do I need to say anything? I don’t, right? I think I’ve talked enough about this phenomenal performance in one of my latest posts (click me), though I could easily talk about it for hours and hours and hours. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve already watched this video since they put it on YouTube. And I still can’t get enough of it. Though I think I never will. Tyler’s talent just never fails to fully blow me away, especially with these two performances right here. During My Blood, I highly recommend paying extra attention to minute 3:28. It’s definitely one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard. This band is such a blessing, honestly. Wow.

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Everything Means Everything Meant Everything – Hunny

Guys, it doesn’t get any newer than this song. Hunny just released their new album “Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.” (yes, that’s really the title of the album) and I’m honestly so happy that it’s finally out and about. Thank god. I’ve waited so long for this. Though it definitely was worth the wait, because it’s simply fantastic. It’s a Yes. Now, can they please come tour in the UK so I can see them in London? Thanks.

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Kentucky & Chapstick (Demos) – Hippo Campus

Have you ever had the urge or maybe just the pure interest to listen to demo versions of songs of a very cool, very great band? Well, ask no more, because your wish just got granted. Hippo Campus did it. They released all their demos from their latest album “Bambi” and now I basically want every single band and artist to do the exact same thing. Yes to more music. To more like these two songs. So damn good. Also, fun fact, when I first listened to “Kentucky” I immediately started to cry and I honestly can’t tell why. Again proves that music can trigger emotions simply by having a special rhythm. The power.

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Best Part of Me – Ed Sheeran ft. YEBBA

Well, we started off this list with Ed so we might as well end it with him. I’m not gonna say much about this, just that Ed is an angel, especially towards the end, that YEBBA is breathtaking and that this is what heaven must sound like.

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And that’s it, guys. These are the incredible songs I’ve been in love with the past few days and months. All of them are very special, very beautiful and very unique in their own ways. And I’m honestly so happy that I get to share them with you and hope that you love them just as much as I do. As always, please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. And, of course, I wish you all a lovely weekend and thanks for reading. x

Let’s go on a hike

Hola everyone.

How are you all doing? I hope so far your Monday has been fantastic and that you had a great weekend. I for my part am doing amazing, especially now that the weather has been so nice the past days. I can’t really tell why, but it feels like summer just started a few days ago, although I’ve been at home for over a month now. But I don’t mind, not at all.

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For today’s post, as I thought it’s Monday and we’re all probably in a chill mood, I’d start this week off with a nice, easy post about the hike I went on with my parents and Molly a few weeks ago, which was so so so nice. You guys know that I’m from the countryside, which is why I’ve always been drawn to the city. Big clouds of people. Busy streets. High buildings, scraping the sky. And new chances and adventures waiting around every corner. At last, that’s kind of also why I want to move to London. Not just because I love the city itself, but also because it’s a really cool city. It’s busy and crazy and beautiful.

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But even though I may be a “country-girl-gone-city-girl”, I can’t help but completely fall in love with the countryside and the mountains and long hikes and clear skies when I go on trips like this one. And this hike specifically was an absolute dream come true that made me daydream about a life on the countryside, far off any real civilisation, where the only sounds you can hear are the bees buzzing and the cows walking around with their bells. I mean, that’s what I call peaceful. Obviously, I would go crazy after about a week, because I would simply be bored out of my mind, but that’s again just another reason why I love hiking trips like this one. They make me appreciate my country and where I come from. They make me love my home.

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Thus, I’m so happy that I get to share these pictures I took during the hike with you. As always, I hope you enjoy them just as much as I do and please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. And, of course, I wish you all a lovely week and thanks for reading. x

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The Divide Tour – Part Two

Hola everyone.

Welcome back to my blog and to another Friday. I hope so far you’ve all had a great week and that you’re doing well. Before I get into today’s post, I want to apologize for not posting anything this Monday, like I had promised in my previous post. I went to a The 1975 gig in Vienna with my mum on that day, which was actually a little festival, so I didn’t get the time to write and post anything. I’m honestly so sorry. But better late than never, right? And yes, I’ll of course tell you everything about the gig later on. It was wayyyyy too good not to. But that’s for another day and another post.

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For today, I’d like to tell you all about the second Ed Sheeran concert me and my friend attended in Klagenfurt. As mentioned in my last post about the first show (click here), our plan was to camp outside for the first night to get to the front – which we pretty much nailed – and then to sit in front of the stadium throughout the whole second show and basically just listen to him from the outside. I mean, yes, we could’ve bought tickets for the second night as well, in theory. But first of all, it would’ve all gotten a bit expensive, and, secondly, I’ve always wanted to listen to a concert from outside a stadium. And it was so damn nice, I’m honestly so glad we really did that. I know, it might sound quite bland or boring, even I thought besides the show it would be quite uneventful, but oh wow, I was so wrong. Get ready and buckle up for a hell of a ride.

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Okay, so, we got to the stadium at half-past 8 at night, 30 minutes before Ed was supposed to come on stage. We quickly looked for the perfect spot to listen to the show and basically set up our whole camp once again. And yes, we had packed everything like we had for the first day – our blanket, the pizza (= our air mattress), food, drinks, basically everything we could take with us. And even just setting everything up in front of the venue was so much fun. I mean, imagine two girls inflating a huge pizza in front of a huge stadium, right at the entrance, surrounded by securities and other onlookers. The whole situation must have looked so hilarious to others, but we were just standing there, laughing and crying at the same time, while holding up a pizza slice made of plastic, and not caring about anyone or anything. Which was also kind of our mantra for the whole night. We had the biggest fun, no matter how many strange looks we got from other people. And it wasn’t like we were alone there. The whole space outside the stadium had turned into a huge sightseeing hotspot as soon as Ed had started playing. At one point, there was literally a group of cyclers who stopped by to listen to the show for a bit. And they weren’t the only ones. Parents came with their kids. A few couples settled down on blankets next to us. Other fans came to listen to Ed too, just like us. Usually, when I attend concerts, I never think that there could actually be people outside, listening as well. But there are. Far more than I would’ve ever imagined.

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Overall, the whole night was one of the funniest and craziest adventures I’ve ever had. As always, Ed was absolutely freaking brilliant, even though we couldn’t see him. But we could hear him, very well actually, and it was just so nice to hear his voice so clearly. In the past, I’ve always asked myself how his show would sound like from the outside. Now I know. It sounds like heaven. And hearing the whole crowd sing and scream with and for him was so magical. The power he has, this normal, but crazily talented guy from a teeny-tiny village in the UK, is absolutely mind-blowing.

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And although we were sitting outside and Ed was in there, we still partied like he was standing right in front of us. We sang, we clapped and we danced like there was no tomorrow. Again, we must have looked like the craziest weirdos ever. But also the happiest ones. I’m pretty sure you know you’re having the time of your life when you either can’t stop laughing or grinning. And that’s exactly what we did in those two hours.

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But that wasn’t the only thing. Because, at the end, we did something neither of us had planned. Something that might even be kind of illegal (???). A teeny-tiny bit, maybe. You can probably guess what I mean. Yes, exactly. We sneaked in, right before the end. And it was literally the best thing ever. Just to mention, I hope I don’t get into trouble for saying this now, but as far as I can say, it was the best idea we had and I don’t regret it one bit.

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When we got to the venue, I quickly made the plan to ask the security to let us in for the encore. Which I quickly discarded again as soon as I saw another person try exactly that. Needless to say, it didn’t really work out. They didn’t let him in. So I needed another plan. The plan to wait for our chance and to sneak in. And the chance came. I won’t explain how exactly it all worked out, but let me just say that people walking out of a concert BEFORE it’s even over (which irritates me every single time I see it happening) can be quite distracting for securities. So distracting that they don’t give notice to two girls slowly walking and then running past them at full speed in the opposite direction than everyone else.

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So, we ran into the stadium and I swear, the moment we got to the crowd and we could see Ed on stage, it felt like we had just stepped into heaven. Naturally, we both started to scream like some super crazy weirdos, but that’s just what I call having a completely reasonable and natural reaction to seeing Ed freaking Sheeran. So we screamed and clapped and sang to the last 30 seconds of You Need Me, I Don’t Need You and then it was all over again. Ed left the stage, we both looked at each other and then we just started to laugh. We really had managed to see him one last time. And right then and there, we definitely were the two happiest people in the room.

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Until today, I can’t really believe that all of this happened. That we really waited for such a long time outside and got through it, still being healthy and happy. That we saw Ed this close. That we even saw Ed. And that we managed to see him a second time, even just for a tiny bit and even though we weren’t really supposed to. Overall, those days in Klagenfurt have definitely become one of the biggest adventures I’ve ever had and I’ll honestly never forget any of it. And I’ll definitely tell my kids about this some time.

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But for now, I hope that you enjoyed reading about this crazy, little adventure. As always, please don’t hesitate to leave your comments and thoughts down below. And, of course, I wish you all a fantastic weekend and thanks for reading. x