Growing up, my parents always said, “We want to buy you experiences, not things!” I truly never understood what that meant until this year, when I got to see my favorite band in concert. I had been to countless concerts before and enjoyed almost every single one. But it wasn’t until I saw my favorite band, Judah and the Lion, that I understood why my parents wanted to purchase experiences rather than things.

When I found out that my favorite band was coming in concert, I was at a loss for words. They are a small, independent band. Because of this, I had never been able to see them live, and this was my chance. I purchased a ticket before I even found someone to go with. A few weeks after purchasing my ticket they posted on their website that they were selling meet-and-greet passes and my heart dropped. Obviously, I purchased one immediately and slowly counted down the days until Judah and the Lion were going to be in town. Until then I bugged all of my friends to come with me until one of them agreed.

The day came. I was shaking, sweating and I just wanted to scream of excitement. I walked into the venue to see about six other people waiting to meet them. A few moments later the band’s manager came and brought us all down to a room in the basement of the venue where the meet-and-greet was hosted. Moments later I see my favorite band begin to walk through the door and I truly do not think I have ever been so thrilled.

They sat down and introduced themselves and played some of their songs acoustically, and I was still in shock. I was in a room with around 12 people, four of those being the band members I had been listening to since they started. Once they finished their acoustic performance, they told us to ask questions because they wanted to get to know us. I was still in too much shock to even speak, but I thought I would give it a shot.

I started to stumble my words, but somehow I was able to ask them questions. They laughed at my funny comments, answered my questions and they made me feel like a friend. After everyone asked their questions, we took photos and got to introduce ourselves to the band. I said my name and they each hugged me and formally introduced themselves with a handshake.

Leaving that meet-and-greet, a smile was plastered on my face. Waiting in the venue for the concert to begin, I kept looking at my photo with them because it was truly an unreal experience. The lights went dark. One of my favorite songs began to play. In this moment I truly understood what my parents had been telling me all my life: to collect memories instead of things. I was in the front row of a concert collecting memories I will remember and share for a lifetime. I was in awe the rest of the night. When the show ended, I knew this was an experience I would never forget.

People often become stingy when buying tickets to a concert or any other experience, but after truly experiencing one of the best nights I have ever had, I will never question the price again. I spent $35 on that night and I could not imagine spending that money on a pair of jeans or a dress at the mall. Honestly, I would rather have these memories on my phone and in my head forever instead of an item of clothing that I will end up getting rid of later in life.

The pictures, videos and, of course, the memories of the night itself will mean more to me than anything that I could purchase in a store. I cannot thank my family enough for instilling this quality of collecting memories instead of things into my every day life.