Prom of all Proms

Korbel peeps dancing up a storm.

The first time I ever danced with a boy was Junior prom back in high school. I had a purple, strapless gown and my date had a matching purple tux. (You looked AWEsome, Vails!) Alas, both Junior and Senior proms were altogether awkward and wholly unfulfilling, as high school was definitely NOT the time of my life.

Ten years later, the ultimate prom experience was finally fulfilled…Korbel Prom! The Graduate Student Association of the Korbel School of International Studies hosted it at a nice hotel in downtown Denver. I had my dress from Junior prom shipped out from back home…alas, zipping it up meant not breathing for the night, so my Auntie and I hit the town the morning of, on a mission for the perfect prom dress and made it home…SUCCESSFUL… with 30 minutes to spare. I flew out the door with nail polish still drying. Thank you Carole! At the prom… Funky DJ with a shaved head and bright pink mohawk + 211 Korbel Students + dancing like no one was watching = Prom of all proms! (Open bar may have been a contributing factor.) Oh, not to mention another AWEsome date! Who said grad school isn’t the time of your life??

The funky DJ with the neon pink mohawk even played my all-time FAVORITE SONG…

“…In New York…
The concrete jungle where dreams are made of, there’s nothing you can’t do. Now you’re in NEW YORK!
These streets will make you feel BRAND new, the lights will INSPIRE you. Let’s hear it for NEW YORK”
-Jay Z’s “Empire State of Mind” with Alicia Keys

…I couldn’t help but jump up on stage to dance! There is something timelessly INSPIRING about the song…it truly captures the very essence of all that I loved about my love/hate relationship with the Big City. It speaks to my SOOOULL! Even my parents dig it! (shocking, I know) In the weeks leading up to my NY departure last fall, my friend Amy and I huddled together around her i-pod, sharing headphones during our subway rides, learning the lyrics to this hit single of Jay-Z’s from his newly released album The Blueprint 3. This past CHristmas, Amy and our friend Meg flew out from NYC to meet up in Coeur d’Alene for a day. Their gift to me was a red fitted Yankees hat, which they had specially embroidered with the words “Empire State of Mind”. LOVE IT! The song has been my all-time FAVORITE since its release back in 2009 and I have not tired of it yet. A few weeks back DU was selling $15 student tickets to noneother than….the Jay-Z concert here in Denver! Oh, the perks of being a student!! Concert was AWEsome, as Jay-Z lit up the arena with Empire State of Mind and I danced my heart out with my new red fitted Yankees hat, reminiscing on life in the Big City.