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Beyoncé: Renaissance World Tour 2023

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I had not been to a concert since My Chemical Romance concert in 2008. So when I received the email from Beyoncé fan club that she is going to do a world tour in 2023 for her Renaissance album, I was so excited. Her last world tour was in 2016 and when she came to Jakarta, Indonesia in 2007, I did not get the chance to see it because I didn't have enough money to buy the ticket. I was so devastated because I have been listening to Destiny's Child since 1999 and followed her solo career as well. Who would've thought that in 2023 I would finally be able to see her performance live in the United States. I live in Louisville, KY - not really a popular destination for a big name like Beyoncé to perform a tour/concert. I was pretty shocked that she scheduled a tour here so without hesitation I decided I would come. I don't drive because US has terrible drivers and it gives me anxiety, and since the concert  starts at 7pm, I should find a friend to go with. I also have trust ...

Ramadan dan Idul Fitri di Amerika

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Berhubung masih di bulan Syawal, mau cerita sedikit tentang pengalaman berpuasa dan lebaran di Amerika. Pertama kali pindah ke Amerika di tahun 2017, bulan Ramadan jatuh di bulan Mei beberapa minggu sebelum musim panas. Waktu itu masih kerja full-time sebagai customer service/kasir di Lowe’s (semacem retail store). Kerja di retail store di Amerika jadwalnya shift, tergantung luck, bisa pagi/siang/sore selama 8 jam 30 menit karena lunch ga dibayar dan tergantung jadwal ditempatin di station mana. FYI, summer di Amerika suhunya bisa sampai 38°C, jadi bisa dibayangin yaaa panasnya gimana. Rejekinya tiap hari selalu dapat jadwal di garden/outdoor, karena waktu itu masih termasuk musim semi dimana semua orang mulai gardening, alhasil puasa terasa semakin berat. Walaupun ga persis dibawah terik matahari karena di bagian garden ada kanopi besar tapi angin panas tetep semriwing rasanya. Berhubung di Amerika ada 4 musim, jadi durasi puasa ga pernah sama tiap tahunnya. Di tahun 2017, puasa kuran...

Wingardium Leviosa

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The Wizarding World of Harry Potter I'm sure every Potterhead in the world wants to visit Hogwarts Castle in Universal Studios. As a big fan, I'm so lucky to say that I have finally achieved that dream. It is not a cheap adventure but it is very worth it.  We decided to come during Christmas time because as you may know, Christmas in Hogwarts is a magical time. After reading reviews about it, we decided to buy the "1 day park to park" tickets. We arrived very early to avoid the crowds. Our first stop was (of course) the King's Cross station. This station is also the only way to travel between the parks if you don't want to walk, and trust me, you don't. Because we arrived early, there were only a few people in the station so we could get on it without the long queue. Everything looks exactly like in the movie, and I love how everyone there dresses up so you really get the vibe. I dressed up as Luna Lovegood, by the way. It was pretty awesome. ...

Our Smoky Mountains Weekend Retreat

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We took a weekend off to visit Tennessee near Gatlinburg. We packed everything we needed for our weekend getaway and took Mason (our dog) along.  We decided to give Airbnb a try and rented a cabin called Wet Your Whistle in Seviervielle, TN.  The drive from Louisville, Kentucky to Sevierville, TN was around a four and a half hour drive.  To account for the breathtaking views this cabin offered, it was situated on a mountain overlooking the city and the terrain. It was beginning to darken upon our arrival and we still had to drive up the mountain to this cabin. Even Mason was so excited! We were relying on our GPS but it was dead in some areas. We started up the narrow, twisty road surrounded by thick trees and brush and almost no light. It twisted and turned and then became rather steep. Our GPS directed us to turn into the wrong cabin and when we realized this, there was no room to turn around. Our only option was to carefully reverse out 4 cylinder engin...