Nikstawho? Nikstagraham.
NYE 2015: I was wearing a black, off-the-shoulder dress with a sparkly necklace, LED earrings, and my favorite pair of heels. It was midnight, my friends were somewhere, and my glass of Prosecco had just been topped off. Lil Jon was on stage, but I was too busy admiring the slew of wristbands adorning my wrist: trophies from all my favorite shows and fests that year including Summercamp, Bonnaroo, and Lollapalooza. It was then that I resolved to go to as many shows and festivals during the year as possible. I downed the glass of my favorite, sparkling white to seal the deal.
56 shows and 52 weeks later, I was quitting my job as an Elementary School Teacher to work on writing, photography, and media full-time. Another year later, I connected with Grassroots Chicago, a Grassroots California storefront, to combine my passions for music, art, festival, and fashion. These days, I manage the store, plan events, create content, manage socials, vend, shoot, and write, constantly. I still average at least 1 show a week and love making a bigger impact in the community.
The moral of my story so far? Never let anyone dull your sparkle. I spent a few years focusing on exactly what I wanted to and have never been happier or felt more successful. I now wear snapbacks and 6.0s more than cocktail dresses and strappy heels. I now prefer a smooth red to a glass of crisp bubbly. I write blogs and plan events instead of lesson planning and designing assessments. Most importantly though, I’m more excited for my future than ever before. And when the going gets tough, I frequently recall a piece of exceptional advice from my Dad: “Don’t be afraid of change. Change is good.”
UPDATE, NYE 2022 —
We’re moments away from entering 2023, the Jordan year. Not much has changed to be honest… This year I attended more than 63 shows and festivals, totaling over 100 days of music events, a personal record and all-time high! While I’ve since quit working for Grassroots and have headed back to the classroom to teach, I’ve managed to balance a schedule full of music and mischief, traveling to more than 19 states (including 7 new ones!) in the last 365 days. Throughout my experience, I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying some of the most exquisite cuisines, staying at some of the best hotels, camping under the starriest of skies, hiking the US’s most notable landmarks, driving across the nation’s wildest roads, and meeting some of best festi-friends I’ve ever had. To say this has been the best year of my life, following a year of such great loss, grief, and personal growth, has made it the most exceptional and spectacular adventure to partake in. I’m honored to have the most wonderful friends, family, travel buddy, and pink-rimmed car. I’m the happiest (and healthiest!) I’ve ever been and I couldn’t be more appreciative, thankful, and blessed.
Happy New Year, folks. Til the next…
XOXO — Nikstagraham
