Okay, finally going to do the lil storytime!!
While on our way to Huntsville, my friend and I decided we wanted Italian food once we got there, and we were deciding between Olive Garden and Carrabba’s. We joked that we’d be more likely to run into Lana in Olive Garden, but we decided on Carrabba’s instead since the OG had bad reviews lol. So, we made a reservation.
Once we got to the hotel, I began unpacking my things and realised I forgot to bring cute shoes to wear to the concert, and the only other shoes I brought wouldn’t have gone with the outfit. So, my friend and I decided we’d make a quick stop into a store somewhere so I could get shoes before we went to dinner. We looked up what was near the Carrabba’s and there was a Dillard’s right next door.
We’re getting ready to leave the hotel, and just as I’m about to walk out the door, I think to myself that I should bring the charm bracelet I made for her with me just in case.. so I turned around to get it and put it in my purse. Thank god I did.
We step into the Dillard’s and we’re looking around as we make our way to the shoes. On the upper level, I thought I saw Lana’s friend Cody from a distance, and my heart immediately dropped to my stomach. I told my friend that if he was here, there was a good chance she would be too. So, our radar was out for her, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up too much especially since I wasn’t even 100% sure it was him since he was far away. We continue looking around at the cute clothes before making our way to the bottom level where the shoes were. As we’re walking to the discounted shoes - there she was. Right in front of me. Her back was turned, but I knew it was her immediately. Rob was there with her and Annie too. I immediately panic and duck behind the other side of the shoe rack, and my friend and I are in a little huddle trying to figure out what to do. I couldn’t even form a proper sentence while speaking to my friend, my mind was just full of squiggles. I really didn’t want to be rude and bother her while shopping, but I also knew this was a once in a lifetime chance to run into Lana like this. For a moment though, I almost didn’t take it. I told my friend that maybe we should just leave her alone, but eventually she convinced me to go say hi (she’s also a longtime fan of 11 years like me, but wanted me to be the one who approached her first)
By this time, she’s standing by a table of Gianni Bini shoes watching Annie try on a pair of boots. I start walking up to where they are and I smile and wave, and she looks at me with a big smile and I say to her, “I’m so sorry, I’m so shy, but I just wanted to say hi!” & she motions us to approach her. I don’t even remember what we initially talked about because my mind was just a bunch of squiggles, which at this point were beginning to turn neon and form into fireworks. Looking into her eyes was like looking at an angel’s soul. Lana is even more beautiful in person, which is hard to imagine since she’s already so beautiful from what we see through the screen. I was just so taken by her beauty, I couldn’t even think properly.
I then remembered I had the bracelet with me, and asked her if I could give her something I was planning to give her at the show tomorrow. She said of course.
I pulled out the box from my purse, but before I gave it to her I showed her my charm bracelet that I wear pretty much every day that has charms of photos I’ve taken at her concerts I’ve attended over the years. She immediately pulls out her phone and begins recording my wrist, fingering through all of the charms and recalling which locations the photos were taken at. She then calls Annie over to look at my bracelet too, and they were both in awe of it for awhile. I then told her that everyone needs a charm bracelet, so I made her once inspired by Dance Till We Die, because that song is such a reminder that no matter hard life gets to just keep dancing, and that you’re never truly alone. She opens the box and I explained the charms were tied to the opening verse, and she begins singing the song as she looks at all of the charms. She then exclaims “it’s all of my legends!” and then I said “since you’re my living legend, I just had to put myself on the bracelet too, but you can take me off easily with pliers.” and she laughed and said “I would never!”
She took it out of the box and tried to put it on but was having trouble doing the clasp herself, so I asked if she’d like me to put it on for her. However, I wasn’t much help because my hands were shaking so bad, and I had broken my right thumb nail a few days before which made handling the clasp more difficult. When I told her my nail was broken, she said, “Ugh! That’s always the worst!” She gets the struggle.
I then asked if we could take a picture together that I could add to my charm bracelet, and as we took the picture she said, “you look like a little princess!” which was absolutely not true as I had been sleeping in the car shortly before this and hadn’t touched up my makeup before we left the hotel. She had called my friend “baby” during their conversation, so my friend and I bought little matching plushies and named them Princess and Baby in that honour.
She told me I looked familiar and she knew me from somewhere, and I told her we were Instagram friends. She said “you’re right! What’s your username again?” After I told her xmissdaytona, she exclaimed “Ahh! It IS you! I see you every day!”
She then chatted with my friend and I for awhile about where we’re from, how we met (when I told her we met from working as actresses on set together, she said “that’s very glamourous!”) and she was telling us some stories about her recent shows as we mentioned we’d be at the show tomorrow. We also chatted with Annie, who is such a sweetheart, and Rob, who we told needs to do his own tour soon! He asked us where we really wanted to visit one day that he should consider for a tour, and we said Greece. He mentioned Lana wanted to go there again.
After an incredible 10 minutes, we said our goodbyes, and I bought some shoes before heading to Carrabbas. Our visit to Dillard’s was supposed to be a quick in and out so we missed our reservation by a bit, but it was worth it. At that point, I could barely eat as the fireworks were exploding in my mind. While we were sitting at the table, I got a notification that Lana DM’d me a heart emoji on Instagram, which continued to extend my excitement that I was still on her mind.
On our way back to the hotel, I shuffled my Lana music for us to listen to in celebration and “My Best Days” was the first song that played. How perfect, because the next day continued the saga as Lana wore the bracelet I made her to the show and even talked about it on stage. When she went to the barrier after Ultraviolence, she walked straight to me, and showed me she was wearing the bracelet. I was so touched. I didn’t expect that either, and it truly warms my heart that she loved it enough to wear it at the show. So honoured and so grateful.
That 48 hour span has truly been the peak of my entire life. I’ll never recover from this.
(& I know people have been wondering if I asked her any of our burning questions, but unfortunately I didn’t. I even have my own personal list of questions I’ve always wanted to ask her, but because this run-in was completely unexpected, those questions weren’t even in my mind. Again, nothing but neon squiggles & fireworks in my brain lol. Maybe next time! Xx)
1. Off To The Races
2. Blue Banisters
3. Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd
4. Ultraviolence
5. Chemtrails Over The Country Club
6. American
7. Music To Watch Boys To
8. Mariners Apartment Complex
9. Lust For Life
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