Yes, I Really Flew to Europe for a Concert
Let me admit firstly that I do not have much experience with solo international travel. Secondly, I have only been outside of the United States twice. Yet, without even a second of hesitation, I flew all the way to Copenhagen, Denmark this year and stayed there (mostly) on my own for two weeks. Why? Because my favorite K-pop group, ATEEZ, were there for the European leg of their Towards the Light: Will to Power tour—and the show was on my birthday.
At the end of 2024, I already knew I wanted to embark on a big trip to celebrate my birthday. But I had no idea where to go. As February crept closer, my anxiety increased. Should I just stay home? What was I going to do? When ATEEZ, who had recently finished their U.S. concerts, announced their new dates, I couldn’t believe it. Their Los Angeles shows were the best concerts of my life and I wanted to relive that excitement while combining it with my own personal celebration.
So, I did just that. I pulled an all-nighter in order to ticket at 1 a.m. PT. Then, a few months later, I arranged an extremely last-minute ride to the airport and fought my extreme motion sickness for the grueling duration of a 9-hour flight. When I landed, it was the middle of the afternoon in Denmark. After I checked in at my hotel and threw my bags into my mini-apartment of a room, I immediately bought a metro pass and went out to explore.
While most tourists prefer Europe in the summer, I cannot emphasize the beauty of Copenhagen in winter. The temperature teeters precariously between comfortably cold and unbearably freezing depending on the wind chill or your proximity to the canal. But I wrapped myself in a long coat, thick scarf, and puffy earmuffs and turned my face up at the unexpected sun filtering through blue-grey clouds. I was there for two weeks. I planned to make the most of it, snow or shine.
Copenhagen greeted me with a mix of city life—baffling traffic patterns, the Strøgot shopping street—and idyllic fairytale aesthetics—stone houses, spiral staircases, and cobblestone pathways. I drank it all in almost as greedily as I consumed Americanos and chocolate croissants, which somehow tasted warmer and better than they ever had in the United States.
Although I am usually an early riser, I tend to go straight home after work in the States and get in bed by 9 p.m. But in Copenhagen, I left the hotel at 7 a.m. every single day and did not return until at least 8 p.m. In the days leading up to the concert, I saw castles, shopped, went on a quest for a book that I’m convinced does not actually exist, and ate my way through every bakery and cafe in Copenhagen. I visited a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as five museums, their exhibits ranging from art and nature photography exhibits to world and local history. Every step of the way, strangers extended smiles and greeted me with so much love that I often derailed my plans just to talk to them longer.
Of course, while I adore traveling alone, I missed the intimacy of someone who knew me well. Someone to share jokes and sightsee with, who could appreciate my obsession with pigeons and K-pop and make me feel less distinctly separate or estranged from the locals. Fortunately, a few days into my trip, a friend from the States joined me. This person is someone I’d consider one of my best and closest friends in the entire world. And I met her because we’re both ARMY, or fans of the global superstars BTS. We’re both also ATINY, of course. Our paths would never have crossed otherwise.
This is all to say that going to Denmark wasn’t just about K-pop or even ATEEZ, yet my happiness there was inextricably linked to them. Without the concert, I wouldn’t have ever thought to head to Copenhagen. Yet the experience is one of the greatest memories of my life. I recall how Min Yoongi once said, “A singer’s job is to sell memories.” Because of both BTS and ATEEZ, I was able to grow far out of my comfort zone as well as meet other fans who I consider my family. Without these people or experiences, I would lead a far duller life and have far fewer happy memories.
You’ll often hear K-pop fans say that their favorite groups or idols saved and healed them. A lot of people outside of the genre roll their eyes and call that childish or dramatic. But it’s so very true. Before I got into K-pop, I was pretty lonely. I wasn’t out, I didn’t know how to take care of my hair and skin, and I was afraid to try new things or search for joy if I had to reach outside of my comfort zone.
Now, I have a network of global friends I chat with daily. I’m proudly bisexual, I dye my hair bright yellow and pink, and I have a proper skincare regimen to take care of my 22 tattoos and counting. I wear the colorful clothes I’ve always wanted to wear, fill my room with plushies, and learn choreography just for the fun of it. I also attend as many concerts as I can, and every single one has been formative and unforgettable.
Plus, I’ve expanded my knowledge of the world, learning more about South Korea and even teaching myself the writing system and language. Once you leave college, it’s so crucial to keep educating yourself in some capacity. Who knew I’d have an unofficial degree in K-pop and Korean film and literature by now? I certainly could have never predicted the total transformation that awaited me when I first heard “Boy With Luv” in 2019. But I’ll be forever grateful that I clicked on that YouTube video and asked, “Who’s the one with the blue hair?”