Although I was sad about all the eras I had missed out on, finding them in 2020, at least this time allowed me to catch up on their past eras, present time and upcoming projects. Learning about each member through BTS Run episodes, interviews and discography, I came to realise that although Korean was not my first language, their songs transcended beyond the binary language.

For every situation I dealt with during the lockdown and boy did they range, I was able to source a track that would epitomise exactly what I was feeling. From then, I knew I was never truly alone, and I would always have one constant in my life. BTS.

Their songs serve as a reminder the hardships we face are temporary, and with enough time we’ll be able to see this through together. I also just thoroughly enjoyed working out to Boy in Luv and Mic Drop to start my day off with a bit of energy!

In 2023, I was able to find tickets to see August D in Singapore. I love OT7, however Min Yoongi holds a special place in my heart. People has consistently spent nearly five years on my top song’s annual playlist.

I had only dreamed of seeing BTS live, let alone hear Suga’s solo work, which allowed me to grieve and accept the things out of my control. The friendships that had expiry dates, seeing the potential in yourself but not being able to action a thing out of doubt – Suga’s songs had such a fundamental effect on how I perceive the world around me.

I didn’t even care what ticket it was, as long as I was able to be there at the Singapore Indoor Stadium to see my bias before enlisting after the Asia tour. To say it was a cathartic experience, is an understatement.

Have you ever watched something numerous times through a screen that when said something appears before your eyes in real life, in real time you think it’s a dream? Everything becomes hazy and you can’t believe you’re in the presence of greatness.

A remarkable series of performances was curated to an absolute ‘t’, with no detail left to the imagination.

Agust D’s show reflected exactly that. The journey he took us through in between the laughs and gummy smiles was a surreal experience I wanted to soak up for eternity.

When it came to Amygdala, the atmosphere felt eerie. Eerie in the sense that everyone in the space had an experience in relation to this song. In a way, we were all mourning and through the collective tears, we comforted each other.

Just recently, I returned from seeing Hope on the Stage at, you guessed it, Singapore Indoor Stadium!

I was lucky enough to secure the VIP Hope package. However, I set no expectations as I understood the realities of these events, and I only hoped the weekend would be fun and I would be able to meet as many ARMY as I could from all over the world.

Agust D showed me how to grieve, Hobi showed me how to hope.

From BTS’s toughest dance critic, I expected no less than the ultimate performance from J-Hope and he nailed it in every way possible. The production, the flow of the setlist and the outfit changes! Hobi showed us he was the jack of all trades, and he would never know what the term conventional is!

At the send-off, I was lucky enough to have Hobi take my phone to take a few selfies and give us the biggest smile in the whole world. Despite working in the live music industry for the longest time, this is the only moment which left me starstruck.

The man just performed for three hours and he’s out here doing fan service? He truly is a king for the people, nay the nation.

Granted I go through the standard ebbs and flows of life, and April was particularly difficult. I was completely burnt out, left feeling numb and unsure of whether I should still go to the concert. I carried so much doubt about my character, my ability to make friends and if I could completely be present.

Thank goodness that feeling dissipated when I got off the plane and I was surrounded by all these ARMYs both Australian and international who showed me this weekend was only the beginning of what good was to come.

Seeing Hobi live, it revived a spark I thought I had lost. From that weekend, I exuded a confidence I never knew existed in me and I feel like I’m ready to take on the world and everything it has in store for me!

Even clocking back to my 9-5, I only looked forward to the fact we are nearing BTS’ next chapter. The reunion.

The next stage that will take on their autonomous and collective growth as a group. The next era is set to make the biggest statement in history, and I will be a part of this journey.

As long as BTS would like to remain as a group, I will always be there to support them. If they’re 80 years old and still cranking their walking stick to Best of Me, I will hold their walking stick!

I will be there through and through, holding their hands every step of the way.

It’s been beautiful to make it this far. Namjoonie, mark my words – we will make it past 30, even when the rain seeps in.