- I saw Taylor Swift on the US leg of The Eras Tour, and two nosebleed seats cost us $5,000.
- My daughter and I loved the show, so I scored us floor seats for one of Swift's Poland shows.
When Taylor Swift first announced her Eras Tour, I laughed when I heard colleagues had cleared their work schedules to buy tickets.
I couldn't understand why they were looking for tickets for shows hours away. I liked a few of Swift's songs, but I wasn't a "Swiftie" and didn't understand the frenzy.
That all changed when my daughter started asking intensely for tickets. And once The Eras Tour started, it became clear that it was the concert of the century. It was also nearly impossible to get tickets.
Seeing the US tour was difficult and expensive, but the show turned me into a full-on Swiftie
I didn't want my 12-year-old to miss out on this generation-defining event, but I couldn't stomach spending $4,000 or more on the resale market for two nosebleed seats on top of travel costs to another city.
Fortunately, five cousins chipped in to buy my daughter tickets for her birthday.
My daughter, a devoted Swiftie, predictably loved every second of The Eras Tour. At first, I wasn't sure how I would get through a 3 ½-hour show by an artist I barely knew — but I left in awe of Swift's talent.
In the weeks that followed, I listened exclusively to Swift. On a trip to Nashville, I sang my heart out to Swift's songs at the Country Music Hall of Fame. I wondered whether I would be able to see her perform again, this time going all in.
Getting tickets to see Swift in Poland was easier than I expected
As soon as Swift announced international dates on her tour, I took the first of many steps to get tickets to one of her shows abroad. I set my sights on a show in Warsaw, Poland, for several reasons.
My children and I are Polish citizens but have never set foot in the country. I've wanted to go for years, and snagging Swift tickets would allow me to finally make the trip. I reasoned that Warsaw was unlikely to be as popular as marquee destinations like Paris. It's also a less expensive city than many other international stops on The Eras Tour.
Also, tickets for the Warsaw show were not being sold through Ticketmaster. I found the idea of not having to deal with the company that botched sales to the US leg of the tour very appealing.
A few days before tickets went on sale, I got a code for the chance to buy tickets before they became available to the rest of the public. Based on how popular presales were in the US, I knew I was unlikely to get tickets, but I set an alarm for 5:00 a.m. anyway.
Much to my surprise, I was able to enter the ticket-buying portal right away. I scored three VIP floor seats for the first night of Swift's Eras Tour in Warsaw for less than $1,000. My daughter, my son, and I started making friendship bracelets immediately to exchange with other concert-goers, an Eras Tour tradition.
Our trip is a year away, but I already know it'll be worth it
Although tickets to the Warsaw show were not cheap, the total cost plus our European trip is set to be about the same as or less than the two nosebleed seats I got when I saw Swift in the US.
I hope to use credit-card points to book our flights, but even if I don't, I estimate the total cost of the trip could be from $4,000 to $5,000. This isn't significantly more than my family usually spends on our annual family vacation, and I have more than a year to save.
However, unlike other family vacations, this one comes with the chance to explore our roots and see a new part of the world. I never would have guessed that Swift would be what finally got me to Poland, but it's just one more reason for me to love her.