Josh Groban!
Wait, who is he again? It dawned on me that I hardly knew who he was, and only after doing some research did I realize I was familiar with all of one of his songs, You Lift Me Up. None of that seemed to matter as I rushed from Penn Station to the Girls Write Now Headquarters.
I was running late. My foolish optimism made me believe that if I rushed out of school, I would have enough time to make it. The elevator door opened on the 18th floor, and I wondered if anyone could hear me panting. “I made it,” I said to no one in particular, as I crossed the threshold into the GWN office.
A few minutes after I arrived, mentors and mentees alike headed out the door. We were going to Madison Square Garden to see Josh Groban live in concert. My first concert! We waited at the press entrance where we received our guest passes, and there was a bit more waiting before the stocky security guard announced it was time to enter the building.
We were led to the backstage basement of the Garden, where we would eventually meet Josh Groban. As we waited anxiously with our huge GWN banner in hand, the mentors and mentees started to bond. We cracked some nervous jokes—it’s rare that mentees and mentors who aren’t paired up get a chance to hang out separate from workshops and readings—and that’s an opportunity that I’m thankful the Josh Groban concert gave us.
So, Josh Groban! He was super nice, and incredibly funny. His mother was sweet enough to give us cavities, and we even had the good fortune to take a group picture with her and Josh.
The rest of the concert was amazing, too. I felt so honored to be chosen by GWN to share that experience. The lights and Josh Groban’s voice made the evening, and even though a bottle of sprite cost $5, it was still one of the best nights of my life. I couldn’t stay for the whole concert, since I had to go home to watch my siblings, but I know it ended with a bang. The Josh Groban concert showed me GWN isn’t only about writing, but about community, as well.