I took my twin daughters to Wales to see Taylor Swift

• My twin daughters turned 12 and I gave them a trip to see their idol.
• We flew from the USA to Cardiff, Wales to see Swift perform.
• I have never had so much fun at a concert and it was an unforgettable experience for my daughters.

“I don’t spoil my kids; I invest in joy,” I told myself as I clicked on four tickets to Taylor Swift’s once-in-a-lifetime concert. Epoch Tour Performance in Cardiff, Wales.

These were the cheapest tickets of their entire European tour, but compared to the four-figure prices being charged in Miami and New Orleans this fall, they seemed almost reasonable. It’s no secret that Taylor Swift and the Eras Tour increases tourist numbers around the worldHotels were sold out and airlines were encouraged to offer new flights. For us, it was the best family holiday ever.

My twin daughters are big Swifties

The Swiftie era began at our house when our then 11-year-old twin sister came home from a two-week summer camp last summer, Taylor Swift fans confirmed, but excitement only grew when they heard that the parents of one of her friends had bought her tickets to the Eras tour in Liverpool in June as a birthday present.

My husband and I explained that we couldn’t do that. The tickets were prohibitively expensiveand we were already planning a family summer vacation in Southern California.

Then the trickle suddenly became a flood – three friends were driving to Parisanother to Amsterdam. Then one night a twin sister was crying on the couch after learning that one of her best friends was going to visit Taylor in Madrid. We gave her the same speech – buying hundreds of dollars worth of tickets and flying to Europe for a concert is just not something this family could afford.

I remember when my parents made my dreams come true

Growing up, I was lucky enough to have everything I needed, but we couldn’t afford everything I wanted. I remembered things I desperately wanted as a child that would have seemed unimportant to my parents. Like an expensive navy blazer with gold buttons that my teenage brain thought would make me feel popular in 8th grade. I cried, I begged, but my dad said no. I also remember when a parent made a wish come true. I was obsessed with horses, and my mom got me riding lessons at a local stable, where I ended up working.

With those memories still embedded in my adult brain, I told my husband I wanted to make this happen. We ran the numbers and planned our summer vacation to California – flights, rental car, Airbnb or hotel, Disneyland — would cost as much or more than four tickets to see Taylor Swift in Wales and stay with friends in London for a few days. Somehow, a firm no became a yes.

A few weeks later, we surprised our twins with the most deafening gift ever for their 12th birthday. We called them into the living room and told them that we couldn’t plan a big birthday party this year and would have to do something else instead. We slipped them each an envelope and when they unfolded a card that said, “Pack your things, we’re going on the Eras Tour,” their mouths dropped open, they screamed and jumped into our arms. One sobbed for half an hour.

My girls were in their element

In the run-up to the concert, our apartment was transformed into a Pearl bracelet factory, and we were busy buying clothes until the day before our departure.

But when we stepped off the train in Cardiff amidst a gaggle of other Swifties lugging their rolling suitcases to various hotels in the city centre, the girls were beaming, in their element, surrounded by their fans adorned in sequins, sequins and cowboy boots.

We also agreed to dress up and threw ourselves into it as a family. The girls got their temporary “13” tattoos and made hearts around their eyes with glued-on rhinestones and beads. They made us paper crowns and I wore a Miss Americana sash while my husband wore a “Heartbreak Prince” t-shirt. At the stadium, we saw numerous middle-aged men adorned with “Proud Swiftie Dad” pins and hats.

I have never had more fun at a concert

For the next three and a half hoursthey sang every song and waved their arms. The girls were treated royally by other fans who came over to exchange bracelets and admire their outfits. When the girls learned that the Cardiff local sitting next to me didn’t know about the bracelets, they insisted on giving her four or five of their own and slipping them around her bare wrist.

And then it was over, but we saw Taylor come out from behind the stage and wave in particular. One of the twins turned to me and said, “This is the greatest night of my life,” while the other said more somberly, “We have nothing left to live for.” For my part, I have never had so much fun at a concert.

I don’t know what her magic is, but Taylor Swift is an effortless, tireless artist who exudes a sparkle all her own. Every time I turned to look at the girls, their eyes lit up and their faces were beaming. The lightness I felt when I saw their pure, unfiltered joy was immense.

We didn’t give up our family holiday for a concert; in fact, it was the best decision we could have made for our family this summer. We now have stories of how we made it when our train from Paddington Station was cancelled, how we caught the last boat to Cardiff Harbour and rode the Ferris wheel, and how the girls tried Welsh Rarebit for the first time. We will hold on to that golden glow of joy and memory. I trust we will.