14/04/2026
was a late bloomer when it came to K-pop and K-dramas. It all started in 2019, when I fell for Park Bo Gum—and by “fell,” I mean I willingly spiraled into watching anything and anyone remotely connected to him. Naturally, that led me to Taehyung, his best friend… and honestly, that was the beginning of the end for my free time.
Next thing I knew, I wasn’t just casually watching anymore—I was deep into BTS, memorizing names, faces, songs, and somehow opinions on things I didn’t even know I cared about before.
Then the pandemic hit… and instead of baking banana bread like everyone else, our household went full K-culture mode. Daily conversations? K-dramas and BTS. Weekend plans? More K-dramas and BTS. We loved it so much we even opened a Korean grocery—because apparently, watching wasn’t enough, we had to live it too.
We even had a Korean celebrity wall at the store. Yes, a wall. Not a corner. Not a frame. A wall. My daughters and I proudly surrounded ourselves with our oppas like they were extended family members.
By 2021, we had officially unlocked peak ARMY behavior: hosting a BTS comeback live viewing. Sleep schedules? Ruined. Energy levels? Questionable. Commitment? Unmatched.
Then came the military enlistment era. The boys served, and we… waited. Patiently. Dramatically. Occasionally rewatching old performances like emotional support content.
Fast forward to 2026—Arirang was finally happening.
Ticket selling day? Absolute chaos. Stress levels were Olympic-level. I’m pretty sure securing those tickets required skill, luck, and possibly divine intervention.
But somehow, there I was—in Goyang—with my four equally unhinged (but lovable) ARMY daughters.
And then it happened.
“MIC Drop” started—and suddenly we were no longer calm, respectable people. We were screaming, jumping, possibly losing our voices within the first few minutes. Dignity? Left at the door.
And then came “Into the Sun”… and just like that, we were crying. Just fully emotional. From hype beasts to soft-hearted fans in 0.2 seconds.
After years of watching through screens, replaying performances, and saying “one day…”—we finally saw them. In real life. All of them.
And honestly?
10/10 would lose my sanity again.
