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Meet Mary!
I met Mary in October of 2022. We connected instantly. Feeling courageous, I started a conversation with her in the merchandise line at the Enhypen concert. I attended this concert alone and didn’t expect to leave the show with a new best friend, but I did. I couldn’t be happier with the friendship we have built.
“I happened to stand in line in front of Callie at the merch booth and had a photocard of Suga from BTS attached to my bag and a picture of Mingyu from Seventeen on my phone. She happened to see these and plucked up the courage to say something about it as she was a fan of both as well!”
– Mary
Since our friendship is so new compared to my other Squad members, I didn’t know if it would last. Since meeting just a year ago, we have been to 3 concerts together and gone on a trip to LA. I am hopeful that we can go on many more adventures together. Mary is awesome!
“Callie has shown me how to live with the excitement of life always. Seeing her travel and enjoy herself gives me the courage to as well. I often forget and get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life but she helps remind me that there is more than just work and stress.”
– Mary
Strong connections like the one I’ve made with Mary are only possible because I want them to be. My friendships are one of my biggest passions. They open up my world. Mary is now part of my expanding universe. She brings bubbly joy that is authentically her. I love that she doesn’t hold her personality back. I want to encourage her to share her passions with the world. I will happily join her.
ENCORE ENCORE ENCORE!
In Mary’s Words:
I have never been the best at making new friends. I always am awkward and feel like I am too much for people especially if I show my true self. In high school, I was known as the loud, funny girl. After years of being told I was too loud and to calm down… now, at least at work, I am known as the quiet loner and often try to work from home.
I have had to hide my passions so often in the past to avoid being made fun of that it hasn’t just become my second nature to hide myself, but my natural state of being. However, a glimmer of hope arose after I fell into the amazing world of K-Pop. I always saw K-Pop as something weird and I didn’t understand the hype about it. But then in November of 2021, I decided to give in and look at a few BTS videos. I fell down the rabbit hole. Fast and hard. I became part of the BTS Army, and before I knew it, I became a Carat (Seventeen) and a Stay (Stray Kids) and a Monbebe (Monsta X) and the list just goes on. I am a typical multi-stan.
Through K-Pop, I found myself again. Or at least a part of me I had hidden. The fangirl. I was always and will always be a fangirl. And now I am not afraid to show it. The industry, filled with encouraging idols, helped me realize it is ok to be myself. I don’t need anyone else’s approval. I can just live and enjoy the life given to me and enjoy the things I love openly because why the heck now!?
I am sure you are wondering what this all has to do with friends. Well, because I’ve now met some of my best friends through K-Pop! One of which, is Callie! Callie and I met at the Enhypen concert in 2022 in Fort Worth. I happened to stand in line in front of her at the merch booth and had a PC of Suga from BTS attached to my bag and a picture of Mingyu from Seventeen on my phone. She happened to see these and plucked up the courage to say something about it as she was a fan of both as well!
We started talking and instantly clicked. She was so sweet and I could tell we had the same passion for K-Pop, and concerts in general! We quickly exchanged Snapchat names and then went off to enjoy the concert. Afterward, we talked and shared numbers and started texting. We got close and it felt so great to make one of my first friends through K-pop on my own, not just through another friend or anything. But just by being me and finding another soul to connect with!
As I have grown older and gained and lost many friends over the years, I have come to realize something. No friend will ever fit a mold you create in your head. There is not just one type of friend. Sometimes we have friends we see every day or once a year. We sometimes have friends we need for emotional support, some to make you laugh, some to hold you while you cry, and some to have fun with. And then every once in a while, you find one that happens to be all in one. Although I have only known Callie for a short amount of time, I know she is the whole package. And although I haven’t cried in front of her yet. I am sure that time will come!
I have always been so thankful to my friends over the years. For the ones I’ve lost and the ones I’ve gained. Each has taught me something that has made me the woman I am today. For Callie, she has shown me how to live with the excitement of life always. Seeing her travel and enjoy herself gives me the courage to as well. I often forget and get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life but she helps remind me that there is more than just work and stress. Thank you Callie for always encouraging me to enjoy my life and live it to the fullest!
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