Erin Miller

A few months ago I returned to New York after a short trip and one of my good friends asked me if I felt “validated as a person,” if the trip had left me feeling calmer, refreshed, and more comfortable with myself and what I was doing in life. I hadn’t ever thought about it that way, but in fact, the short weekend trip had accomplished that. I found the question striking because I think that people are generally afraid to admit that they crave validation, that they look not only internally but also externally for strength and approbation. I have been off of school and work for about two weeks, and I have just under a week of vacation left. So far I have spent some time visiting family in Oklahoma City, I spent Christmas with my family in Denver, and spent several days seeing my boyfriend’s hometown and listening to the tales of his youth. Now I am spending time enjoying the company of my family and boyfriend and preparing for re-entry to “real-life” next week. Two nights ago, though, my validation became official.

Validated
Dan and I met up with some of his friends at a concert at the botanical gardens, which beyond some great music by Ian Cooke, included the additional benefits of free beer, as long as you didn’t set your cup down, and a quick, cold, and breathtaking walk through the blooming Christmas lights of the gardens. It was an amazing evening and has led me to determine that not enough concerts include free beer and millions of glowing lights. Perhaps most importantly, however, when we gave the guy our tickets, he checked our ID’s and officially validated us, so I guess maybe it is getting about time to return to the City.

Ian Cooke in Concert — the picture are compliments of my impressive photographer-friend Nicole
Nicole’s blog and access to more photos