Hi again friends! Continuing on with my fun week in Utah with my mom!
So after we saw Derek Hough in his amazing live show, we drove down to Moab, Utah to visit Arches National Park!
First of all, the drive there was breathtakingly beautiful! It was a little long from Salt Lake City, but honestly, the views were amazing!
This was pretty much the views for most of the drive!
Once we got there, we checked into our hotel, which was actually a ranch, and we went to check out the downtown Moab area.
The view from our hotel room! It was RIGHT on the Colorado River!
I could not get over the views!
On Friday morning, we woke up early, and headed to Arches National Park!
I’m not going to lie to you, I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into, I didn’t know much about the park or the history, or really what to expect at all. I like doing this to myself sometimes because it leaves me with no expectations!
But, let me tell you, I LOVED IT! From the amazing rock formations, the challenging, yet still doable hikes, and the really cool way that they laid out the National Park. I could not get enough! It was so much fun!
Here are a few of my favorite arches and hikes!
The hike to this one included 3 other arches as well!
The Delicate Arch!
The Delicate Arch was the hardest hike we did, but my goodness was it worth it! This arch is iconic!
Another one because !!!
This one we had to hike through sand for! It was awesome!
The hike in to the previous arch!
After a great day at the park we headed back to our ranch for dinner and relaxing! It was such a great day!
Had to pull over to take a picture of our ranch from the road!
Side note, our ranch had the best restaurant at it! The Cowboy Grill! I’m still thinking about our meal to this day!
I really enjoyed Arches National Park and the town of Moab and all it had to offer. The park was vey accessible for everyone, and the arches could be accessed if you weren’t up for the hikes. The hikes just made the views a little bit better!
The next morning we got to see the annular Solar Eclipse, and we were in the 80% path for the Ring of Fire!
We went for a walk along the Colorado River before watching the Solar Eclipse!
Then we drove back to Salt Lake City and did a little shopping, had a little dinner, and enjoyed our time together!
I really can’t say enough good things about Arches! It was a really cool park, very well put together, a lot to see, and the Arches were just so cool! I would go back for sure!
I’m very thankful for my time with my mom in Utah!!
You guys, last week I had such a good week! On Wednesday, I went down to Salt Lake City and picked up my Mom at the airport and then we went to see Derek Hough and his wife Hayley on tour!
We were so excited! I bought these tickets the day they went on sale, so it was a long time coming!
Since we had VIP tickets we had to get to the theatre early, so we could check in and then go back stage!
We waited to take our picture with Derek and Hayley and then went to the Question and Answer session!
I was able to ask Derek a question, and I just wanted to share his answer with you, because it was amazing. I asked him how he deals with and handles negative comments about him on social media, or over email. As a morning news anchor, I get comments all the time towards me, and I asked him how he handles it.
Derek said that at first he would take those comments to heart, but then he started to realize that when people would said hurtful and negative things to him, he began to realize that says more about the people saying it, than it does about him. He said he began to have empathy for them, and recognizing that they are missing something from their own lives if they feel the need to reach out to you to say their negative comments. So in case you needed to hear that, there you go.
I LOVE this picture so much! The true happiness on my face can’t be beat!
After the VIP session we went to the Cheesecake Factory for a quick dinner and then headed back to the theatre for the show! We had about two hours in between the VIP session and the show!
Our seats were in the second row, right on the aisle! I turned around and this is the view!
Derek’s show was called ‘The Symphony of Dance’ and I have seen Derek in every show he has ever done, and to be honest, they have all been AMAZING! But, there was just something so special about this one. It had so much heart behind it.
The Symphony of Dance, in my opinion, was a metaphor, for the journey of life. There will be ups and downs and highs and lows, but overall it’s the journey that you remember. I loved that so much!
The females had 18 costume changes, and each one was more spectacular than the last!
Each dance told a story, and each dancer was phenomenal! I’m telling you I would see this show every night in every city if I could. I left feeling so inspired!!
This show was particularly emotional for Derek because he is from Salt Lake City, and he had a lot of family and friends and his old dance teachers in the audience, and it was a sold out show! It was so special. I can only imagine how Derek was feeling up on that stage!
I just want to thank Derek and the entire cast and crew for this show! It was truly wonderful and I think everybody, even if you know nothing about dance, could enjoy this show and enjoy seeing the talent and hard work and creativity on that stage! I would see it every night if I could!
Thank you Derek, from the bottom of my heart, for teaching me to live my life with passion and to never let anybody make you feel bad about being who you are!
I had the absolute best weekend ever seeing Derek Hough in his Las Vegas residency, so I thought I would write about it.
So on November 6th, my Mom flew to Vegas from Boston, and I flew to Vegas from Boise and we met up to celebrate her birthday and see Derek!
We walked around and explored the city. I have been to Vegas 2 times but never with my Mom so it was super fun! We are such good travel partners, and my mom is really my best friend!
I love Vegas, it is such a cool place! I love the theme hotels, and all the people watching!
Then it was time to see Derek! His show was at The Venetian and I really enjoyed how the theatre was small, it made it seem like we were part of the show!
Which, actually, I did become part of the show!! Derek was asking for volunteers and he picked me!
I have been to every single one of Derek’s shows, and he has never picked me, so I was SO EXCITED!
He lined us all up, I was the tallest so I was in the back. He told me to stand really still and not move because he was going to come up and push off my shoulders to jump over us!
It was AMAZING!! I was so happy!!
The whole show was spectacular, an hour and a half of pure joy! The thing I admire the most about Derek is his passion, and who he is, he cares for people, and he cares about people, and he really truly is doing exactly what he was put on this earth to do, and there is something so special about that!
In this picture Derek was telling us how for so long he always wondered if he was enough, and it took him a long time to realize that no matter how many accomplishments he had, or how many awards he won, he was always enough, and so are we.
To be honest with you all, I never feel like I’m enough, I always wonder if I am going to be successful, but none of that matters. What matters is how we treat other people, and who we are on the inside. Thank you Derek for reminding me of that.
The finale dance was to a medley from The Greatest Showman, one of my favorite movies! Such a perfect way to end the show!
As soon as it was over, I wanted to see it again!
The next day was our last day, we spent it relaxing by the pool!
I am so thankful I got to see my Mom, and also Derek, I am so thankful for this experience!
I hope I have the chance to see the magic on stage again someday!
Hello friends! If you know me at all, then you must know that Derek Hough is my absolute favorite dancer, choreographer, human, of all time.
Well, I am so excited to be going to Las Vegas to see him on November 7th at the Venetian! My mom is going to come from Massachusetts and I am coming from Idaho and we will have the absolute best time! The show we are going to is on my mom’s birthday.
But, let’s take a little look at how many times I have seen and met Derek Hough, just because these pictures make me happy!
June 22nd, 2014, my mom and I travelled to Mohegan Sun in Connecticut to see Derek in his first Move Live on Tour show!
I still wear this shirt!
August 8th, 2014- I met Derek Hough at his book signing at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. This was one of the best days ever! I felt like I just met my hero!
I look so young!
He signed my book! Also, if you haven’t read Derek’s book, you totally should!
I’ve read this book 3 times!
Then, Derek announced that he was going to star in The Radio City Rockettes Spring Spectacular, and of course I went to New York City to see him in the show! We were in the second row, and I left before the show was over so I could go meet Derek at the stage door!
April 3rd, 2015, one of the best days, here we are at the stage door!
Selfie outside Radio City Music Hall!
He even signed my phone case!
I still have this phone case somewhere!
Then, he announced him and his sister were going on another Move Live on Tour, and they were coming to Boston this time! I got tickets again, and went to see him! I waited at the stage door after the show was over, but he didn’t come out this time. The show was still amazing!
Concert shirt!
I didn’t see Derek again until May 4th, 2017, but this story is wild!
Okay, picture this, I am sitting in the Suffolk University library studying for my media law final. It is a picture perfect day in Boston, the sun is shining and people are happy. I have front row VIP tickets to see Derek Hough on his Move Beyond show for the next day.
I take a break from my flashcards to look at Instagram, and Derek Hough has posted on his Instagram story that he is in the Public Garden, which is about a 10 minute walk from where I am.
I immediately stop studying for my final and call up my best friends Andrea and Andrew as we wander through the city trying to find him.
From the public garden to Fanueil Hall to the Esplanade, we were trying so hard to find him. I just wanted to meet him again, because Derek has been such an inspiration to me.
We decided to sit down on the Greenway because he hadn’t posted in 45 minutes, and I was about to give up, but then he posted that he was inside the Aquarium. We get up and start walking towards the Aquarium. I decided I was just going to wait outside the door and try to see him when he walks out. Just as I made those plans, there he is walking towards me.
I kind of feel bad because it was so obvious he was trying to just have a relaxing day to himself, but I knew I had to say Hi. I called his name and he came over. I told him the story and told him that I was coming to his show the next day. We took these pictures.
Derek said it was like we were playing Pokemon Go, but for celebrities!Classic!
The next day I took my media law final, I got a 97 on it by the way, and then we went to the show! I went with my mom and dad and we had VIP tickets, so we got to meet him and his sister before the show, and attend a Q&A session. I wanted to do a really funny picture with Derek, so when I got up there, I said Derek how about you pretend that you are proposing to me? I didn’t know if he would go for it or not, but here is the result.
YES, of course I’ll marry you Derek!
It was hilarious! I loved this day!
His show was awesome, and in the middle of it, Derek came through the audience, grabbed my phone and we took this selfie!
SELFIE!
When Julianne asked for an audience volunteer, guess who went up there! My Dad!
My Dad dancing with Julianne on stage!
It was one of the best days!
I can’t believe I took this photo!
It was a prefect day!
In 2019, Derek announced he was going to go on a solo tour this time, and considering I was about to graduate college, I wanted to reward myself and buy Front Row Seats again to his show in Boston!
I was this close to the stage!I love this picture!
The best part about having VIP tickets is that you get to know him a little bit. I asked Derek a question during this Q&A session, I said, Derek I’m about to graduate from college, what is something you wish you knew when you were my age?
I honestly live by what he said every single day.
Derek said, You are who you surround yourself with. If you surround yourself with negative people, you’ll be negative. But, if you surround yourself with people who work hard, and think positive, then you will be that way too.
I admire Derek not only because he is so handsome, but because he has worked hard, and never given up on what he wanted, even though it is challenging.
I hope someday people will look up to me like I look up to him.
I had tickets to see Derek in June of 2020 at the Flamingo in Las Vegas, but that show got cancelled because of COVID, so I really can not wait to see him at the Venetian in November!
I am so thankful for all of these experiences and shows I’ve seen Derek in, his passion and determination is unmatched!
Now, hopefully you already know about my obsession for Derek Hough, because if you don’t that would make this blog post less dramatic.
So, let’s assume you do. You know all about how I became obsessed with Derek Hough in 11th grade, and ow I have been to every one of his tours including his show at the Radio City Music Hall, and I have even met him 6 times.
On April 23rd, my love for him and his talents was expressed again, as I attended Derek Hough Live!! The Tour! Now, let me tell you, this was my 7th time seeing Derek, and truly each time they get better.
Derek Hough is magic. His show was funny, his show was beautiful, his show was moving, his show was magical. I wasn’t Elizabeth Hadley the stressed out senior in college with zero free time. I was just Elizabeth, happy and free.
I was so close I could see how his emotions changed with each dance!
The way that Derek can transition from tap to contemporary to salsa to hip hop to the tango in minutes is amazing. He is one of the most talented people to walk this earth, who is actually really genuine and humble.
The thing that gets me about Derek the most is that he never takes his success for granted. He even said so himself. He said, every night I come up on stage and I always feel like I have to earn it. I have to earn that I get to do this every single night, and I love doing it. Derek was born to be on stage, and how lucky is he that he gets to do what he was put on this earth to do.
I got to meet Derek before hand, and this was my sixth time meeting him. He is just such a beautiful soul.
I asked him what he wishes he knew when he was 22 like I am.
He said, well, I wish I knew that you don’t have to have your life figured out when you are 22. I also wish that I knew that you are who you surround yourself with. If you surround yourself with people who are hard working and nice, you will want to be like them. I love that he said that, and it was such a nice thing to say to me.
The best part of Derek’s show was the backup dancers. WOW! They are talented! They seemed so grateful and happy that they got to be up on that stage and performing alongside such a talented dancer like Derek. But, they are just as talented!
The message of Derek’s show was simple. You. Are. Enough. Just. As. You. Are.
So, in case you needed to hear that today, there you go. You are enough, and you always have been and always will be enough. Just as you are. Never doubt that you aren’t.
Elizabeth Joy Hadley 