It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year....

Us fangirls, plan tours well in advance. Even without any concrete info to plan with. The slightest hint at something happening, say, a year from now, will send us into a frenzy of how we will accomplish all that we want to do. How does one plan tour time, without even knowing what month it will start? We start with the basics. What cities do we want to visit? We all know that hometown (Toronto in this case) is always a must. Mainly, 'cause we have never missed a show there since Backstreet Boys' 1998 self titled tour. Surrounding areas, Hamilton, London, Ottawa, Buffalo & Detroit, typically are shoe-ins because they fall within the 10hr max driving time we allow ourselves. Then come the shows that we just HAVE to see. Boston, well, 'cause NKOTB hail from there. (If you didn't know, I give you permission to stop reading this blog entry immediately). We have already discussed cities we will have to visit next tour, like LA, because Kevin seems to always make his guest appearances there. (If you don't know who Kevin is, really, please, I beg you, stop reading). Outsiders to fangirldom, find it odd that we (I) will travel across the country (Vancouver to Toronto) for a mere 2 nights, just to see a show. Or, they disapprove, perhaps not understand, why one would plan a two week long road trip on the East Coast, just to follow our 9 men. Truthfully speaking, the guys give us an excuse to visit places we have never been. I have been blessed enough to spend time in Boston, NYC, Ottawa & countless other cities because of these 9 amazing men. And, as some of my fellow fangirls have pointed out in previous blog entries, we have met one another in these cites & at these shows, because there was a show to go to. We have created memories that unite us.

When planning trips to new cities that have yet to be discovered by us, we plan every day down to the hour. Pull out the maps (the abundance of maps from CAA *looking at you Ashleigh* & in case the GPS fails you...stupid Princess Aurora) & search the internet to find the things that we just have to see while we are in town. Example...TD Gardens in Boston. Mainly 'cause the Celtics happen to be in one of the biggest battles that exact day & well, you know Donnie is a fan. Perhaps we'll see him? Ok, getting off topic, but you get the point. On a recent trip to Montreal with Ashleigh, to of course see NKOTBSB perform, we had a short 6hr window to see the sights of the city. And let me tell you, we fit it all in. It's not ALL about seeing the guys...unless you're running into Joey McIntyre on the street, but that's a different blog altogether.

As a fangirl on tour, you must also make sacrifices. First big sacrifice, no, you cannot bring your entire closet. Though road trips allow for more room 'cause you can cram all your random crap in the trunk. I still feel sorry for those poor doormen who tried packing ours. My rule in packing, if the outfit is a 'maybe I'll wear it', don't bring it. It will take up valuable space. Hard concept to master. I know Ashleigh is still having difficulty. Second, don't get attached to that fluffy bed of yours, 'cause you two will never be friends. Why you ask? You will not rest. Tour time has this misconception of being similar to R&R type vacay's, it's not. You're constantly on the go. And you have to be ready, make-up on, hair did, for when Danny tweets that they are just leaving their hotel, which is a 2 minute cab ride from your hotel. Third, forget about your diet. You eat when you can & whatever it is that you can find. Breakfast of Champions anyone? Ashleigh & I survived on Starbucks & Subway for our 2 week road trip. Shockingly, we don't hate either. And if you aren't a Starbucks fan, well, become BFF's with it fast. You wont survive without it.

Tour time, for us fangirls, is what Christmas is to most people of the world. It's the biggest gift you can ever receive, and it better be after all the money we spend. (Worth every penny though). We get to see our sisters (one another), our extended family (crew), have a holiday (who doesn't love to travel, stop reading if you don't. Really, how did you get this far?) & open the greatest gifts ever given (show of a lifetime, hugs from our favourite men *Donnie*, VIP experiences, and the list continues). You may not understand why we do what we do, but one thing is for sure: it really is the most wonderful time of the year.

Breakfast of Champions.

Can you see all the way to the back? Yea, neither can I & those are just our baby suitcases in the front...

Sweet reward after being lead astray by your not-so-trusty GPS.

*angry face*