Megan at the Movies: Why I'm Choosing Films in 2024

I was talking with an older coworker recently where he told me him and his wife love seeing movies. They have a movie pass to get rewards and tickets and he said "Megan, it's worth it." 

I had to break it to him that as a 30 year old in the world of social media and me having to be connected at all times, I can't sit through a whole movie. I'm always on my phone or I get up for a second then when I come back, I am no longer in the movie or TV mood so I turn it off.

But I wasn't always like this. I used to love movies and I was able to binge a TV show for fun while paying attention to all of it. I read books now instead and if you question how my ADHD survives me sitting and reading, I will always answer with "I have no idea how it works, but it does." Talking to my coworker made me realize: I miss movies. Not only did he talk me into looking into movie reward programs for myself, I was getting excited to look into what movies are coming out next year. 

I started to think about my personal benefits of going to see movies again:

* I will HAVE to put my phone away so I can't use it at all. It'll be nice to relax for at least an hour without constant checking.

* Watching a movie will take my mind off so many things and it's essentially a form of self care for me. 

* I would love to go by myself so I don't have to make conversation with anyone before or after the movie, but I'm not against having other people tag along sometimes. I also don't want to rely on other people's schedules, so I'm going to focus on going solo. 

* The rewards program I pick will get me good movie butter popcorn and I always need that in my life.

* I would love to write reviews on the movies I see. I haven't written for fun in a long time and I think it would make me feel good to be able to write something with my humor and thoughts.  

The only 'con' was the spending money part. But if I see one movie a month, my goodness, I can handle that. I decided to start officially in January for Megan's Movie Me Time and I WAS going to join AMC Theater's reward program called Stubs Premiere. It's only $15 per YEAR (yes, I googled that because I thought it was wrong LOL) and for someone who is financially not able to do a per month thing, it was smart for me. Also, this is of course not sponsored but here's the AMC Stubs link to see the tiers: X

But then I talked to my mom about how our local movie theater, Classic Cinemas, has a FREE reward program. Classic Cinemas is kind of like the indie bookstore of my town, but cheaper. Their movie tickets are $5 and a medium popcorn is $7 with free refills. Their seats are brand new and heated. And with all of that, I don't have to pay for their reward program? The 'con' here is that they don't have any smaller or indie movies they show, but what's stopping me to going to another theater if I want to see those? I just won't get points (which isn't a huge deal.) But Classic Cinemas, you got me; I'm joining. 

I was so excited about this new thing for me that I started watching movie trailers for January and February 2024 to see which movies floated my boat and which ones did not. Here's what I found:

Movies I definitely don't want to see but watched the trailer to check it out:

* Sometimes I Think About Dying

* Madame Web

Movies I do want to see:

* Mean Girls (January) 

* It Ends With Us (February) (Is this movie still coming out?)

* Lisa Frankenstein (February)

I still have to do some research for March and on but it was fun to see what I wanted to watch! 

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On November 28th, I had a bad day and needed to get out of the house. I said "I really want to see The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" so I went to the movies by myself as a trial run for January. I got popcorn, a cherry icee, and a empty theater all to myself. I thought the movie was messy and do not recommend it (MOVIE REVIEW TO COME IN ANOTHER POST!!) but I only looked at my phone once during the unnecessarily long movie but only to check the time. 

When I was driving home, I felt so....refreshed. It definitely was a new feeling for me! I didn't check my notifications or emails, if I had to get up, I did so to get my free icee refills, and I did enjoy the main guy in the movie, so it was NICE. I don't do self care much because I physically and mentally cannot anymore. I have too much to do for others or things to stress about to ever take time for myself. Again, my phone is my lifeline. But I'm a kind person and a movie theater rule follower, so knowing I had to put my phone away (even in an empty theater) was the break I needed. 

Of course, the notification amount was crazy when I looked at them afterwards, but I decided to talk about the movie with my family at home instead of replying to them right away. I also didn't dwell on my bad day until I was back home from the movie. WHO AM I!?

Shoutout to my coworker who gave me this idea without knowing the positive implications it will have on my life. Well, at least for 2024. 

**I'm trying to think of a clever name for the movie review series I'm going to write on this blog so give me a chance to play with some things first because my goodness, this one is hard!**

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I Watched the Full Moon Rise and Set Through My Hospital Window

 I haven't written on this blog since February 2023. It is now October 2023 and I think it's the right time to make a post. Please beware, this story of my current health is a longer one...

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In the beginning of September of this year, I was in a constant state of being overwhelmed. I had started a new job that summer and my classes for school were going to be all in-person for the first time in a year. I also had my podcast that I do all by myself and past guests were asking when their episode was going to be released because I have taken so long to edit. My mental state went in the gutter for a bit but after a routine with work and school was in the works, I felt a little lighter. 

After coming out of a time of short lived darkness, I was my happy self again. I drank my coffee each morning, I read a little bit each day, and I constantly laughed (which is my favorite thing to do.)

On Wednesday, September 20th, I had a pain on my lower back. I felt around and there was no bump but the skin was really sore. The next day, a bump did appear. It kept growing and never stopped. It hurt so bad where I couldn't sit without being in horrible pain. On Saturday, the 23rd, I didn't feel great. I was constantly hot when my family was covered in blankets. I didn't sleep well because of my stupid bump. 

Then the next day, my parents left for Las Vegas for vacation. I went to Target that Sunday morning to pick up milk and some cute Halloween decor. I kept saying "it's because I didn't have my coffee yet" as an excuse to why I was feeling off that morning. That evening, I was carving pumpkins by myself and my body almost collapsed onto the floor because I was suddenly in so much pain. I laid down on the couch and the pain never subsided. I just KNEW my bump had something to do with it. I texted my mom "I'm going to the immediate care" and as I was sitting in the random doctor's office alone, I was whimpering like a child. The pain was everywhere: my head, my back, my stomach. I apparently had a temp of 99.5 (which I don't believe) and no one asked how I was feeling despite me not being able to hold myself up.

I caught myself whispering out loud into the empty room: "please help me."

I was taken back to a surgery room and it turns out, the bump was an abscess. I had it drained, it hurt real bad, the doctor couldn't believe I was living with that big of a painful bump for this long. 

By that point, it was definitely too late.

I felt positive leaving with my packed wound but when I got home, I was dizzy immediately. The time after that went too slow and too fast at once. I was too sick the next day to pick up my newly prescribed antibiotics, so my friend picked them up for me. She brought me a coffee, too, and I almost threw up just looking at it. I hadn't eaten since the morning before and when my friend left, I started convulsing with pain on my downstairs couch. I was shivering but my face kept getting hotter. I yelled out loud a lot (which is maybe a good think my parents weren't there to hear me...) and I couldn't stand. I couldn't walk. I had a searing pain in my gallbladder area.

All in all, I wanted to just respectfully pass away at that point. 

I called my friend to come over again to drive me to the ER. I couldn't keep my eyes open. When I was waiting in line to check in, I was swaying on my feet. It was packed on a random Monday afternoon so the called me in after an hour, took my temperature, and it showed 104 degrees. I knew people around me were talking to me, saying that a fever will make me feel bad, but everything was hazy and blurry in my head. I got bloodwork taken, they gave me Tylenol, and made me sweat out my fever in the lobby full of people with with broken bone casts on. I have never felt so vulnerable and exposed. I was in and out of consciousness in that lobby for 1.5 hours while sweat dripped down my back. When my eyes did open, many people were staring. But I was past the point of caring. 

They finally took me back to a room, looked at my wound, said my white blood cell counts were great and that I was fine, then gave me different antibiotic pills. I sat outside the ER, shivering, waiting for my brother to pick me up and having too much faith in random ER doctors. 

I got the call the next day. September 26th at 6pm. 

"Hi Megan, I'm from the ER. We got your blood tests results back and they did grow a culture. We're going to need to you come back ASAP to get more bloodwork as it was probably contaminated." 

I entered the ER doors once again, but my fever had been gone since the day before, so the triage nurses kept telling me I was fine, it was most likely that some of my skin cells got into the bloodwork from last time. They took me back, once again, to look at my wound and since I hadn't eaten in 2 days at that point, a nurse brought me some snacks (which I promptly ate the small vanilla ice cream cup and wish I didn't.)

"You're fever is gone, there is nothing amiss with your gallbladder, and your wound looks great. Just waiting for your discharge papers."

It was 11 pm when the doctor of the shift came in and said they were going to admit me. Everyone kept saying I was fine and wasn't really sick, so that confused me. 

It was 2 am when I got wheeled into a room in the Kid's Ward (which I found out had 26 full rooms and only 2 were kids...) and my IV's started. I was delirious from my whole body hurting constantly and the nurse on that floor kept saying "we're admitting you because we're just waiting for your new bloodwork to come back." And that's all they said the first night to me. 

I had developed a blood infection, sepsis. It was part of the Staph family. I was given a specific care team full of infectious disease doctors and wound care specialists. The primary doctor I was given told me that my second set of bloodwork also grew a culture but honestly, I was okay, which she stated a lot; It wasn't anything too bad. Even through all that pain, I first believed her that it wasn't anything to worry about. 

Then the infectious disease doctor, who couldn't look me in the eye, came in by himself and said "this is really serious." 

Then I realized that primary doctor wasn't always telling the truth to me and I was glad when I left that place...

In the 4 long days of my hospital stay, there were too many people surrounding me. But I was completely and mentally alone. I had 1 friend who wanted to visit but my hair was matted and I wasn't given the all clear to shower. I felt disgusting but with all my insulin shots, my blood clot shots, my antibiotic IVs, and meds galore, I don't think I wanted anyone seeing me like that, even one of my best friends. The days were long and filled with short naps and quick texting. I didn't read my Kindle nor did I watch TV. I was just there, trying to survive a bit. 

I was released on Friday, September 29th. I finished a mini packet of goldfish at home (that took me 2 hours to eat, but it was progress!) and as my parents were still on vacation, I still had a this strange gnawing feeling of loneliness that kept creeping up. 

Aftercare started that night at 5:30 pm.

I now have a home health nurse (HI JENNIFER! I THINK YOU'RE GREAT), I have a Picc line in my right upper arm (which is a pretty much a permanent IV), I give myself IV infusions every 8 hours (my schedule is 2 am, 10 am, 6 pm), I get winded and lethargic if I walk or stand too long, after my infusions, I usually get sick and have to sit and close my eyes for a bit, I have to take this disgusting anti-infection pill that tastes so bad, I have to act like a literal dog and chase it down with pudding, and my doctor appointments are a lot (wound care, infectious disease center, blah blah all that jazz.) 

It...is intense.
 

I have not worked and I'll be out of work for too long for comfort, so I have no income. I had to withdraw from my school semester (although I might be able to keep one class because my professor is willing to work with me as I'm homebound.)

I'm 30 years old. This isn't supposed to happen at my age. I never expected a pain like this to happen to me where I wasn't under anesthetics. 

But I'm still also battling my own thoughts with this all. I don't have cancer nor have my cultures grown again. I don't understand why my life is uprooted for a blood infection. I feel like a fraud, telling this story when "so many people have it worse" (which, I absolutely despise that phrase, but I needed to use it.) 

My primary hospital doctor didn't always tell me the truth about things and made things up sometimes when she didn't have an answer, but before I left, I asked her "what will happen if I don't give myself infusions? I really don't want this." She came back with a reply of:

"If you stop doing your infusions, or you stop them too early, the infection will 100% come back. You will have a much harder time getting rid of it." 

Coming from that lady's mouth, I was surprised she finally told me something honest. 

I'm currently writing this on my living room couch, where I now reside for the next 2 weeks. I had 1 quick visitor over the weekend and I was over the moon. I have had 2 dinners delivered to my house from my Church family and now that my parents are home, it helps a lot. I love getting "hey how are you" texts from anyone who cares to reach out. My appetite is back but not fully. I like to have little snacks instead of meals. I love cards and now I have 3 "get well cards!" 

 I am not one to ever relax, but I am trying my best for the first time in my life. I am getting better every day but every hour isn't perfect. 

To those who read this post, I'M SORRY IT WAS SO LONG! I even kept out so much and I'm like "wow Megan, calm down." 

To those who have reached out to offer prayers and "thinking of you" texts, I needed them a lot. 

Okay, now I'm about to edit a podcast because I have actual free time (who is she?)

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Too Many Things, So Little Quiet

(This is an old picture, by the way)

I cried for the first time in a few years last night. 

My medications I take stop me from shedding tears as a side effect so I can't ever let it out when I need to. But last night I cried very hard and it was needed and worth it. 

I have adult ADHD and it didn't come on until I was older. With my other mental health issues, I thought not being able to slow down was a part of other things. But something was different than it had been and I couldn't shut my mind off nor could I just STOP. 

 People are always saying "you do so many things!" and I want to tell everyone: "I can't help it and I don't know why."

Last night everything came to a head. It wasn't a manic episode or what I call my "breakdowns," it just felt different. There was just so much noise around me and so many people. I couldn't seem to ever be alone and I couldn't rest or relax. I am also very irritable with people recently. I seem to get angry easier and I'm so confused because that's not me. I went to a concert the other night where I was pretty much standing in front row. With the amount of people pushing me and having no space to breathe, I was so afraid I was going to have a panic attack. But I didn't. I just wanted to scream out of anger with these drunk people around me and that's not me.

I looked it up last night why I was going downhill. 

"Overstimulation" popped up. 

I've heard of that phrase before but I always thought it was for people with autism. But ADHD people can suffer from it, too, and I was shocked. It's pretty much sensory overload, when too many things happen at once. I didn't fit some things on the list but I did see myself with some of the checklist. 

Hyperactivity. Overly intense response to stimuli. Agitation. 

All me these days. I thought it was hormonal, but it was happening before and after my time of the month. When I saw that word on Google last night, it clicked a little bit. Then I cried. It was yet another mental obstacle in my life. I usually don't want anyone to see me or touch me when I cry, but I went to my mom because for the first time, I wanted to be comforted. 

ALL THESE NEW THINGS! 

When my tears on my face, I went on Pinterest to look up tips on how to calm my brain. I have shocked therapists in the past because I have learned so much about myself in my 29 years. Many people never do, but this a night where I learned what I need to do to be my best self again. I spent a few hours making a list about myself and my current needs and what I learned in a short amount of time.

I want to share some below from my list. Maybe it'll spark some connection between us or maybe it'll show you something new to add to your life!

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1) Smells.  Many people with hypersensitivity can't stand strong smells. I, on the other hand, must have smells for some reason. I love candles in general but I have been burning them like crazy now. I think there's a connection of calmness and soothing candles for me. I have to light one when I do school from home and when I go to bed. There's a candle I lit in the living room right now and I'm the only one in the house right now. It's just something I have attached myself to. 

2) Leaving the house. I have a rule that after 3 days at home, I have to go somewhere. Whether it be a Starbucks or a library, I have to get out. But with my classes being remote this semester, I stay in my house and I go to work. That's pretty much it. I realized that I've not followed my 3 day rule and it's definitely taking a toll on all of this. I need to start going out during the day when I can, even if it's just getting lunch by myself or sitting by my favorite town dam.

3) Declutter. This is cliche but when I was in the deep throes of my depression, I welcomed a messy bedroom. Now, my anxiety is turned up when my small bedroom floor is crowded. I can barely stay in it for long before my breathing becomes heavier. I need to do some upcoming spring cleaning and get rid of clothes and items that I don't use. I want to enjoy a safe space, not become detached from it. 

4) Dressing up. I have been wearing sweatpants and t-shirts for 2 months straight because I barely leave home and no one on my Zoom classes can see my pants. I took a hot shower today to relax and put on a fuzzy sweater I never wear. I did my skincare, brushed my teeth, and decorated my hair with 2 butterfly clips. I feel wonderful, even if I only have one class today online. I think when I start to become less of a recluse, I will have a "NO SWEATPANTS" rule when I go out. It'll make my brain feel better. 

5) Quiet time. Like I said, I am always surrounded by people. At my house and especially at work (so many people there!) I don't get time to myself EVER. So I impulsively booked a 2 night stay at a local hotel this weekend for my very own "quiet time." I will not be doing school work, reading books that I'm forced to, and letting myself relax (for 2 days only, though.) I will instead be writing for fun, reading books that I want to read, and maybe watch a movie! I'M WILD AND CRAZY, YA'LL! 

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I have more things I wrote down but I don't want to ramble on here. Reschedule plans that don't fit in your life right now, avoid big crowds when you can, and catch your irritability before it turns into full anger. 

Most importantly, take time for yourself. 

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Harry's House is Currently Having a Great Time in Chicago

I want to start this post with I am far from a cool influencer and I am not receiving payment for this post. I genuinely loved my experience and I also genuinely have no money left over after having the best time ever (it was worth it.)

I scrolling through Facebook one day and saw that NBC News posted that there was going to be a Harry Styles mini pop up in Chicago.

Now, I'm not saying I deserve anything in this world, but Harry DID cancel on my Chicago concert date and I DIDN'T get to attend the "make up" day, so...I felt like I needed to go to this pop up.

I asked my friend Sol who I knew was a fellow Harry fan (his fans are usually called Harries and honestly, I don't vibe with it, so I'm just going to keep saying "Harry fan") but we took an almost 2 hour train ride and 2 Ubers to get to the bar that it was being held at, Replay Lincoln Park. I have to put in here that I am from the northwest suburbs of Chicago so this was a trek for me but it may not be for you!

We pulled up to Replay Lincoln Park in the Uber and this is what I felt like:

There was a Harry banner the exact moment you walk in the door and you just FEEL like you fit in already.

Welcome to Harry's House

We got there around 6:30 pm and it was a great time to go as it wasn't as crowded. Sol and I cozied up to the bar where the bartender with long hair looked like 2015 Harry but with a beard. He probably received that comparison all night but honestly, it went with the aesthetic (he was also super nice to everyone, which is a sure sign the night was going to go well.)

I ordered a Watermelon Sugar cocktail and As it Was shots. The shots came in a pair and Sol wasn't ready to take any shots, so my friends, I took those 2 shots for myself. They were DELICIOUS. Heads up, most of the drinks on the special Harry menu are sweet, so look carefully if you aren't a fan of sweet alcohol drinks!

Harry's House Cocktail Menu

As it Was shots

Replay Lincoln Park is a special bar in the crazy way that it has ARCADE GAMES!! In between taking pictures, we played pinball and Skeeball. It was a blast. Shoutout to the girl who played pinball at the Ghostbusters machine next to my Batman one and told me her friend's boyfriend went to the Harry concert and wore Harry merch. Miss that girl. 

I do need to say that certain games cost a dollar or 2 BUT most of them are free! Just please consider that when you buy drinks, you're paying for the machines too with that money (which makes sense.)

Sol and I went around taking pictures of the themed décor and had a fun time with the cutouts. Sorry to the shirtless Harry cutout that I knocked down with my drink. He was fine and had no injuries.

As the night progressed, I learned my favorite drink was Cherry. The actual cherry fruit they put in the bottom of the glasses weren't maraschino but they didn't have pits. I was thriving on how good they were. I didn't love the Kiwi drink FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE that it has kiwi seeds swimming around. I'm a texture person and seeds are my enemy. Sol loved it though!

There was a woman there that was getting married soon and her group of friends were from Milwaukee! The ones I met were super nice and the future bride was so fun. She literally gave me a Ring Pop as a thank you for taking a group picture of them. Loved it. I'm posting a picture of her cute little veil and sunglasses in hopes she sees that I wish her all the best! 

Of course, Harry Styles music played overhead. But then around 9 pm, One Direction songs were mixed in and that was the coolest thing ever (says me.) Harry videos played on loop on each TV that was displayed and each time Sol looked at TV, she sighed and went "I just...love that man."

Harry on the bar TVs

As expected, the night went on and it got more and more crowded. There are only 2 places to sit and that is at cute picnic tables, but a birthday party took up a whole one that night, so we crammed into the other table. We were lucky getting that seat! We left around 10:30 pm and headed back to the train with low phone batteries but full hearts.

I'll be attending Harry Styles Psycho Bingo at Replay THIS Wednesday, November 16th! I'll be writing another blog post about it and taking pictures for Meganhubrex.com! I hope to write a journalism article for my writing portfolio from this, too, so if you are attending, DM me at @MeganHubrex on Instagram and I'd love to get some fun quotes and pictures!

Here's the link to Harry Bingo

Thank you to Replay Lincoln Park for putting on this AMAZING Harry event for fans!

The Harry Styles Mini Pop-Up HAS BEEN EXTENDED! Here's the new deets:


When:

 Now until November 19th at 9 P.M.

Opens each night at 5 P.M. until 2 A.M.


Link for more info

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Cup of Cheer Cards 2022

 Hello friends! 

I know it's the beginning of September hey THE HOLIDAYS ARE NEAR! I mean, Halloween is next month then 2 months after that...it's Christmas/Hanukah/every other wonderful holiday. With me being in college again, I feel like my personal time has dwindled down to a very small amount, so I'm starting this project SUPER early to make sure it gets done good and proper!

If you're new here, last year I started an organization called Cup of Cheer Cards, or Cup of Cheer for short. This is in  no way something that I have an LLC for or even a website for. It's not something you can Google because I made it up. 

So what is Cup of Cheer anyway?

It's where holiday cards from all over the US get delivered to my house, I organize them, I attach a very loving letter that I wrote to each card, then when they're all set and ready, I hand them out to the senior living residents at my job during December. 

These people are the light in my heart. When I did this last year, the amount of lit up eyes and "I can't believe this, thank you" spoken was truly awe-inspiring. Some of these residents have no family and these cards are a way to show them how much they mean to people. Some residents DO have families and still, these holiday cards make an impact. 

I had a ton of people help last year and this year, if we have even more people, I would love to give 2 cards out to each resident! Each person will receive 2 cards from different people and if there is left over cards, I'll be reaching out to give them to other communities! 

My goal is 290 cards (or more!)  Last year we had at least 210, so tell your friends and everyone in between to see if they want to help reach the goal!

For those who are like "wow, you're job goes all out", stop right there. This is a Megan thing ONLY. My job is in no way affiliated with Cup of Cheer (I feel like I have to put that out there!)

If you would like to participate in making or sending cards this year, here's some things you need to know (and what I have learned from last year):

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1) You MUST fill out the cards. Please no blank cards. You can fill out a note, a message, or just your name and where you're from, but it MUST be filled out!

2) Do not seal the envelopes (if the cards come with some!) I won't be reading them, but I need to slip in my holiday letter.

2) VERY IMPORTANT!! These are words you CANNOT USE: Christmas (any holiday by name), any religion, or God
Words you CAN use: Holiday, snow, trees, plain winter words. 
(With this one, I know younger kids can't help themselves. This is my work's rule, not mine, but if they slip up, no worries!)

3) How to sign your name: 
To: My friend (or something of the sort. You will not be given a name)
From: Your name and where you're from (i.e. Megan from Illinois)

4) Please no trinkets or gifts, just cards.

5) You can get cards from Amazon, the dollar store, mainly any retailer out there when it's closer to the holidays. Or you can make your own! If you make your own, don't worry about putting them in envelopes!

6) How to get them to me, Megan:
If you have my address already, please address the main send item, whether it be a box of cards, a package of card, an envelope of them, ect:

Cup of Cheer Cards

Please DO NOT PUT MY NAME! If you do, I will open it thinking it's a personal card and it'll get confusing (LOL)

If you don't have my address, please email me at:

Mhubrex@gmail.com

When sending your email, please including your NAME and where you're FROM (just so I know you're legit)

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Please have your card sent to me by DECEMBER 9TH, 2022

If there are cards coming afterwards, there is a big chance that I can't use them. 

Have fun with this, fill this card with love and kindness, and just know there are people out there who appreciate you.

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Pushing 30 (My Annual Birthday Post)

 It's that time of year again. The time I wait 365 days for (which is a lot, but also goes by very fast).

If you're new to this blog, hi, hello, welcome to my ramblings and adventures that I dare put into the 'lifestyle' category because I'm bad at buckling down with a niche. 

If you're a current reader of the Megan Hubrex blog already, you might have seen these type of posts, because I write one every year. You can always look up the June/July section of this blog for past birthday posts, but I think last year's was pretty short. I was about 2 months into my new job, I was about to go back to college after 8 years away, and I had brown and red hair. 

Wild. 

This year is a little different. A little more comfortable and a lot more meaningful. 

I always tell the story about how my mental health years ago stopped me from ever wanting to grow older. After 21 years old, I would be gone forever. I tried and tried and inflicted pain on myself, mentally and physically. Around 24 years old, after years of suffering, I found the right medicine for me.

Then, I suddenly loved birthdays. 

A whole day to say "HEY WORLD! I'M STILL HERE AND I'M GOING TO ENJOY IT!" A day to shower myself in the love I have always deserved. 

I'm a giver. I give until my money runs dry and my heart squeezes a little too hard. But on my birthday...everything is switched. And I would be lying if I didn't say it felt nice to be loved a little extra on that day. 

My birthday signifies my struggle, but not really in a bad way. It's a day that gives me hope that I'm here to see the next one. 

29 is going to be the best yet! Even though the year is already halfway done!

P.s. For everyone who is like "what do you want for your birthday? What do you like?" 
I like books, coffee, flowers, and Harry Styles. 

That's pretty much it. 

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The Queen's Ball: A Bridgerton Experience

 

    

Greetings from the Ton

Err...I mean hello from Chicago. 

Lady Whistledown said: "It doesn't matter where you are, as long as one has fun."

(She never said that)

If you're not a watcher of Bridgerton, please enjoy these pretty pictures I took at a very fun event. 

But if you ARE a Bridgerton fan, you're in for a TREAT.

Let's start with my friend Mavis sending me a Tik Tok of a ball that was Bridgerton themed. I was SHOOK. She told me there was one coming to Chicago and I Googled it so fast.

I found this link: X

Then I saw that General Admission was $56 for a 90 minute show. UHHH NO THANKS. 

Then we insert my friend Faiza in here. Faiza and I are good friends and she knew that I wanted to go to this ball so bad. SO SHE BOUGHT ME TICKETS AS A GIFT. Her and I were set to go to the Queen's Ball on May 11th, 2022. 

I was stressing out about buying a dress and jewelry and long gloves. I talked myself out of buying an $80 dress on Amazon because I needed to use common sense: I will most likely never wear that dress again. I found a Nasty Gal dress in my closet and turned it into an afternoon tea time dress, fit for Miss Bridgerton. I did buy long white gloves on Amazon and a white ribbon and it really added to the dress. I already had a string of tacky pearls and I shortened it into a necklace. 

So very 1813

Faiza picked me up at 7 pm as the Bridgerton Ball started at 9 pm. The parking was SUPER close to the building. If you pay for Valet parking and you're capable of walking 1 minute to and from the building, you're wasting $25. 

They also only take card for parking unless you have exactly $15 (or $25 for Valet). It's very card based inside too. I wouldn't bring cash unless you want to leave a cash tip for the bartenders. 

Faiza and I took some pre-pictures in the parking lot as we were about 45 minutes early. The email they send you says they'll let you in 30 minutes early. THEY LIE. They let you in 15 minutes early. 

We waited as one of the first people there and we got to see the queen's guests all come line up AKA our fellow Ball go-ers. Some wore plain dresses from Target, some wore prom dresses. I was afraid my dress was too plain, but I felt really good in it. It doesn't matter what you wear to this; you're there to have fun. 

We were let inside and you see this little board first:

You scan your ticket OR they can look up your name if you have a hard time finding your ticket on your phone.

The first thing you see is a coat check (it was 90 in Chicago that day...) then you see a hall full of hanging twinkling lights. Me and Faiza took a quick selfie. 

In that hall are 2 merch stands and a picture taking spot. I HIGHLY suggest not buying merch in the main room and to wait until you leave to do so. The stands in the hall will be there when you go and you won't have to hold merch the whole time. 

The hall you wait in to go into the main area (the twinkling lights hall) had our first photo op of the night. 

You will have a ton of photo opportunities, so prepare those poses and smiles! Save your mega watt for the Queen, though ;) You'll have to bow a lot and I was told your right foot goes in front of your left foot. That could be 100% incorrect, but I did it all night. 

We  finally got let into the main room through a tunnel of purple Wisteria flowers, hanging from the ceiling. I got a quick video of it, but not a great one because they usher you fast inside the main room. 

When you enter, you get a Lady Whistledown paper. 

BIG HINT: If you want something to do, there is a game with clues on the back of Society Papers. It's circled in black!

From there, you can take so many pictures before the queen arrives. 

The picture at the beginning of this post was so much fun. You sit on a stool, take your picture, you get led to a touchscreen easel, sign your name and then a QR Code pops up for you to download it to your phone. 

I'm a little bitter that I forgot to take my glasses off for it, but oh well! 

Then you can sit on the Queen's throne (Faiza has that picture somewhere...), go take a picture in the "rain" AKA hanging crystals, and take some selfies in the cute mirrors.

There's also 2 bars in the big room. The alcoholic drinks? $16!!! And more if you give a tip!!! They definitely don't stiff you with the alcohol in it (I got a Birds of a Featherington with gin) but save your money.It's a small glass (it does look big in the picture below. It's just the angle.)  A sprite costs $6. A glass bottle of water also costs $6 and that bottle is BIG. The water is worth the 6 bucks, 

There's also a merch stand IN the room, but like I said, save it for the hallway when you leave. 

They also have costumes from the cast. I love a good Penelope. She's a plus size icon AND a writer. No one knew if these were actually used in the show, but it was still neat!

Then you hear music. Violins are playing Ariana Grande. The cast members in white wigs line up at the red curtains. Then....

OUT COMES THE QUEEN!! 

She walks the red carpet up to her seated throne. It's so much fun to see the elegance they made this woman have. People will start getting picked by ladies in wigs and men in top hats to go bow to the queen. The announcer is backstage and sees everyone bow to the queen and makes cute remarks like "what a wonderful bow" and "the perfect hand twirl." 

Then I went up unescorted, by myself. I was smiling so wide. I bowed, waited for the announcer remark, and...

IT WAS DEAD SILENT. I GOT CRICKETS.

I laughed about it but younger Megan would have been so hurt. I went up a second time with a girl I met there and all be it, I was the only person the announcer STILL didn't say anything about!! (LOL)

Then, when the queen left, we went into the next room (which I didn't know they had!). THE BALLROOM! 

We all gathered at the side of a checkered dance floor and watched a really fun dance performance. One girl was dressed (and looked like!) Daphne from Season 1 and another guy looked like The Duke. 

But you'll never guess who Daphne asked to dance before she danced with the Duke. 

ME

That's right, the announcer can laugh at THAT! Maria (the Daphne lookalike) took my gloved hand an pulled me on the dance floor. I acted very un-1800s. I followed her waltz very badly and we talked a bit. I told her I was so nervous and then when she goes "should I dance with that man over there?" meaning her co-character, The Duke, I literally said to her "yes! I dare you."


Girl.... WHAT

She was trying to stay in character but I heard her chuckle. Then the performers did a beautiful and intimate dance. It was so cute to watch.

Then it was our turn to dance! I did NOT keep up as it is super fast but I couldn't stop laughing and smiling. Even the people next to us were having a blast. Then, once again, I got pulled up on the stage and the middle to dance with a performer! I shook my shoulders and dropped it as low as I could. It was awesome. I was so out of my comfort zone, but that was a good thing!

The Queen came out, picked her Diamond of the Ball (a drag queen who looked SPECTACULAR) and then it was done. All of a sudden, Single Ladies by Beyonce started playing and all the guests started shaking their booty's on the dance floor! They played some more recent songs to dance to, but Faiza and I were too hot and decided to leave.

We bought our merch on the way out (I bought a tumbler and a tote bag). Merch is obviously expensive, so keep that in mind, too. 

After leaving, I put my hair up and we found a cute Boba place to get a late night snack on our drive home.

That was it. The end. 

Was it worth the $56?

YES. 100 times over, YES.

I do have to say, save your money: don't buy VIP. The "seating area" isn't even used because we're all dancing. All the real difference is the glass of champagne you get. 

It's also SUPER hot in there, so wear setting spray on top of your makeup! We didn't even have that big of a crowd, but I was dripping sweat because the lack of AC. 

During this Queen's Ball, I was smiling the whole 90 minutes. I had a blast and it was so worth the experience. 

I made a SUPER quick Tik Tok but it shows us having fun:


TIK TOK LINK 

GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE AND HAVE A 'BALL'!

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