Rachel, I Was Enchanted To Meet (up with) You!
When we plugged our phones back in after we got to the car following the concert and our daring escape, there were so many dings it sounded like we were in a Las Vegas casino.
Apparently posting a picture of us on the floor of the Taylor Swift concert then going radio silent til after midnight caused a sensation with people wanting to know how we did it and to see updates.
But I was shocked when I opened the text from my best friend, Rachel.
“YOU ARE IN KANSAS CITY??? I AM HERE,” it read.
I was thrilled. Of all the Taylor Swift concerts, of course we both happened to travel to Kansas City. Knowing she would be with her extended family, who I absolutely adore, we had to plan a meetup.
The following day we held our impromptu reunion at Chicken and Pickle, where her family and their kids were enjoying afternoon before the concert. As soon as she saw me, Rachel ran over with a huge smile, arms extended, and wrapped me in a long hug.
I was thrilled to see other familiar faces – Rachel’s mom Miss Mel, who was like a second mother to me throughout high school, her oldest brother Ryan, and both her sister’s-in-law; Leslie, who joined me in planning Rachel’s first baby-shower, and Niccole, one of the wittiest and most delightful people I’ve ever met.
They had tickets to night 2 of the concert that evening, and we all talked animatedly about details of the concert, what Era they would be dressing in, the tacklebox of friendship bracelets they had all made, and our experience.
“I cannot believe you got floor seats. AND you got to be there when Taylor Lautner came out!” Rachel said to us. “You’re so lucky.”
“It was amazing!” Chloe said.
“… and since we didn’t have our phones for the whole concert, I asked the girl in front of us if she would mind sending me some of the photos and videos that she took,” Claire told the group. “And she said she would!”
“and you know where I got that idea?” she continued. “From Bree.”
“OMG Breeee!” Rachel exclaimed.
“Aw, did you really!” I said, smiling.
“I thought, ‘she was brave enough to ask us to get in line, and it worked, so I could be brave and ask this girl for photos,’” Claire finished.
Miss Mel and Niccole looked confused. “Who’s Bree?”
“She was in a story I wrote earlier this summer, The Mother Road!” I started. “We met her at a concert.”
“The Weezer concert!” Rachel interjected.
“That’s right!” I said, cocking my head toward her, impressed that she remembered that. “And she came up and asked if she could buy us a funnel cake to get in line with us.”
“But first she walked by wearing red cowboy boots!” Rachel continued excitedly.
I looked at her, stunned. ‘Oh my gosh,” I said, I can’t believe you remember that!”
“Which one of you made the “How I Met Your Mother” reference?” she asked Claire and Chloe.
“That was me! Claire said.
“Wow, Rachel, that’s impressive,” I said. “You can tell that story with better detail than me! How do you remember that?”
“I told you, I read every story. I’m your number one fan!” she said.
My chest felt warm with love and pride. I smiled at her.
“I’m so happy you’re writing again.” she continued. “I’ve always wanted you to do something with your writing.”
I felt happiness radiating from within to have the eternal support of this wonderful human being, who I’ve known for over 25 years, reaffirmed.
I write because I thoroughly enjoy it, but to hear that it’s enjoyed and appreciated by others that I care about makes it all the more special and motivating.
For an hour and a half we reminisced and shared stories from the past.
“…and then I told your mom, “don’t do that” and, like a defiant toddler, she looked right at me and threw her sunglasses anyway, and they didn’t make it to the basket and they fell down below the depths of the rollercoaster,” Niccole told my girls her favorite story about me from Rachel’s bachelorette party 7 years ago.
“They are so fun, “Claire said as we were walking away after the visit.
“They really are!” I agreed.
We made promises to get together more often and went our separate ways.
Kansas City, I Was Enchanted To Meet You!
After leaving Chicken and Pickle, we set off to explore the distinctive Kansas City, often referred to as the “City of Fountains.”
First things first, when in Kansas City it’s customary to try some of their famous barbecue, so we went to Jack Stack, an award-winning local chain that’s exclusive to the region and known for it’s extensive menu. We were not disappointed. We found the food and the service to be exceptional. We enjoyed it all but the standouts for us were their ribs, tangy blackberry lemonade, and perfectly sweet tea.
Then we set off on a drive. I was intrigued by the stunning Spanish architecture, which was particularly prominent in Country Club Plaza shopping district, where we ended up, next. Naturally, I was curious about how a midwestern city came to have this architectural style, so I looked it up.
It turns out, the developer, J.C. Nichols, fell in love with Seville, Spain while on a trip to Europe and wanted to bring that look to Kansas City. Nichols brought his vision to life with the creation of the Country Club Plaza shopping district, and as a result, the enchanting architectural style spread to other areas of the city, leaving a lasting mark on its landscape.
One thing to be aware of when visiting KC is the unique driving experience. Some roads had stop signs, while others did not, and drivers were… well, I wouldn’t call them aggressive, necessarily. They still maintained the friendliness you would expect of midwesterners, but they were not always patient drivers; many just took the right-of-way and went about their days a little quicker than if they had followed traditional road rules.
Something else that struck me was how friendly people are in Kansas City. Everywhere we went we got a good dose of that classic midwestern hospitality.
A man in front of us in the checkout at CVS noticed we were all dressed up with traditional Taylor-red lips and asked if we were going to the concert. We told him we didn’t have tickets yet but were just going to see where the night took us and he urged us to have fun but be careful, and wary of ticket scalpers.
Then, while brunching at McClain’s Bakery on Sunday morning, we struck up a conversation with a friendly worker. Upon learning this was our first visit to Kansas City, he brought us complimentary pecan cup cookies, their signature staple, which is reminiscent of pecan sandies topped with a dollop of homemade buttercream icing.
From the food to the people, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Kansas City.
Lucas, It Will Be Enchanting To Meet You!
For our weekend lodging my cousin, Jeffrey, and his fiancé, Lucas, graciously offered up their historic home in the Waldo neighborhood for the weekend while they were away. It exuded charm and warmth, and Jeffrey, ever the hospitable host, had left printed, detailed instructions about the place and the neighborhood on the table, providing a personalized VRBO-like experience.
Throughout the weekend we walked the neighborhood, brunched at McClains bakery per Jeffrey’s outstanding recommendation, played tabletop games, and laughed with each other over a late-night carpet picnic.
We’d heard family stories of a youthful spirit that supposedly also inhabits the house, and those stories lingered in the back of our minds throughout the stay, adding a spooky element to the weekend.
At one point during the weekend, late at night, Claire silently and uncharacteristically disappeared for an extended period of time while Chloe and I sat in the living room, and inherently I knew she was up to something.
She had been taunting Chloe about staying with a ghost since the drive up and I knew she couldn’t help herself from being mischievous.
“Claire?” I called through the house.
She didn’t respond.
I walked through the dining room and toward the two bedrooms. She wasn’t there.
I stepped up the stairs to check the upstairs room, but the room was empty.
I walked back down to the main level and called again, “Claire?!”
“I’m down here,” she called up from the basement where we’d been periodically through the evening to do laundry and use the workout equipment.
“Come see what I’ve found!” she called to me.
My heart started thumping slightly harder, unsure what to expect, but not fully trusting the situation.
I bravely, yet cautiously, made my way through the kitchen to the basement door. I made sure the light to the basement was on before I started my decent down the stairs.
I took a step.
“This is so cool,” I heard her say from underneath the stairs, feeling a little more confident now that I could at least hear where was she in the basement.
I took another step.
Then I felt a hand reach out through the slats of the stairs and grab my achilles!
“Oh my God!” I screamed as I jumped back up the two steps in a single leap.
Within a moment Chloe had made it from the living room, through the dining room and met me in the kitchen.
“What happened?!” she asked with big eyes.
Claire was on her way up the basement stairs, laughing so hard she was gasping.
“I’m sorry mom, I had to,” she said.
“You did not have to!” I replied through an annoyed but relieved smile.
“I wanted it to be Chloe,” She continued. “See? I had the text all ready,” she said turning her phone to show me.”
“Oh, so you wanted your sister to freak out and fall down the stairs and bust her head open and bleed out on the concrete in the basement?!” I asked dramatically, showcasing my well-known flair for hyperbole.
“I’m sorry. I know what I did was wrong!” she insincerely managed to choke out through a fit of laughter.
Chloe issued a disappointed sounding, “Claire!” in a motherly tone before joining us in laughter. We all three slept in the same bed that night.
The weekend was filled with twists and turns, heartwarming experiences, and unforgettable memories and we’re grateful to have lived it all.
Jeffrey, thank you for helping provide such a wonderful weekend for us!
Lucas, I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting you, yet, but I’m sure once I do, just like everything else in KC, from your home to your city, I’ll be enchanted to meet you!
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