Thanks to the wonderful people at VOBOC, I was able to experience a once in a lifetime opportunity, and for that I am eternally grateful.

Thursday, January 22nd, I began my journey with my cousin and to my surprise my mother and my two sisters. The drive down to Boston was great, you couldn’t have asked for better driving weather, especially in January.

When we arrived in Boston we settled right away into our hotel room- which took my breath away. The hotel used to be an old prison; just by walking in the front doors of the lobby you can already feel how much history took place in the building. The hotel staff was amazing, such a great group of friendly people that were so helpful.

With the advice of the concierge we were sent on our journey for a late supper at The Black Rose Pub. The food and the atmosphere were outstanding. We were also fortunate enough to be entertained by a live band from Ireland. They were great performers, so great in fact that we went back the next night to see an encore presentation. The food was also delicious; I’m always a big fan of traditional pub food.

The next day, we had the opportunity to tour Boston for a bit. We took in some traditional attractions such as Quincy Market and The Cheers Pub. We went for a walk down by the harbor and we were so fortunate to have plus degree weather it made the trip that much more enjoyable. After having a late lunch we ventured back to our hotel to get ready for the main event.

I can’t tell you the exact emotions I was feeling as I was getting ready because at that time it still seemed to surreal to me. I have been waiting to see Garth Brooks perform live for as long as I can remember. Growing up on his music, singing along with every single one of his songs, he is by far my all time favorite singer of all time. It didn’t hit me until we were sitting in our seats and could see the stage. We had amazing seats that put me closer to him than I could ever imagine being. He was set to hit the stage at 7:00pm sharp. Sure enough, when the clock struck 7, there was a countdown clock on his stage. My heart began to race, and when it hit 0. There he was. I got weak in the knees. He played all my favorite songs, he’s not only a great singer with an amazing voice but he is an entertainer. Even if you are not a country music fan, there is no way you couldn’t enjoy his concert. He is such a people person, so interactive with his audience. I was so overwhelmed with emotions that I began to tear up at times. When the concert ended, I was grinning from ear to ear. I couldn’t have asked for a better time. It exceeded my expectations by more than I could ever imagine.

Words cannot describe how thankful I am that I was given this opportunity. VOBOC, along with all its sponsors and the lovely staff at the Montreal General Hospital for making me aware of this organization, thank you doesn’t seem like enough. You are an amazing group of people, I hope that you continue making other peoples dreams come true as you have made mine.