A few weeks ago, I received a notification on my phone reminding me of an event on Apr. 16, 2022: BTS Permission to Dance on Stage in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium. I smiled, feeling excited about the event, but this excitement was short-lived. 

A couple of days ago, I was at my sister’s house, planning our trip to Las Vegas. As we scrolled through several hotel booking websites, I was surprised to learn how expensive the hotel prices were—even if we just stayed one night. 

I even felt alarmed and hesitant to move forward with our trip due to gas prices skyrocketing. As of Apr. 8, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is $4.15, according to AAA Gas Prices. In California alone, the average price of gas is currently $6.17 per gallon for premium and $5.82, the AAA furthers.

The week after Apr. 16, my parents and I are scheduled to go to Boston, Massachusetts to attend a campus tour at Harvard. To welcome admitted students, Harvard College will host an in-person Visitas weekend from Apr. 24 to 25. 

According to the Harvard Gazette, the school “will host a number of events designed to welcome the admitted Class of 2026 and introduce them to the College community, as well as to the resources and opportunities available at Harvard.”

To prepare for our upcoming Boston trip, we booked flights, hotel and transportation reservations. The expenses for the trip will only continue to increase after we reach our actual destination. 

The timing of the BTS concert was inconvenient and impractical. I did not want to further burden my parents financially by attending the concert, so I reluctantly made the difficult decision to sell my tickets. 

To say “I love BTS” is an understatement; I have idolized the band for approximately four years. For me, attending their concerts acts as a stress-reliever and a way to support the band. Furthermore, it is rumored that their concerts in Las Vegas might be one of the last concerts where all seven members of BTS are present because the oldest member of the band, Kim Seokjin, will be enlisting in the military soon, which is mandatory in South Korea. 

With all of this in mind, the process of letting the BTS tickets go felt discouraging; it was a sacrifice. My heart desires to go to the concert, while my brain considers this thought as unpragmatic and financially insensible.   

Luckily, I was able to sell the BTS tickets to a fellow senior and friend. Therefore, letting the tickets go felt bittersweet because I know that another “ARMY”—BTS’s official fan club name, would have fun at the concert.

There is no doubt that letting go feels challenging and daunting, even impossible at times. Whether it be letting someone or something go, the process remains difficult because as Nikka Celeste, contributor for Psychreg describes, “it means that you need to free yourself from some aspects of your past. Things that have become a part of yourself—of what makes you who you are today. Most people understand this as getting rid of that ‘thing’ resulting in a change in who you are.”

Amidst the struggles that come with letting go, we must learn the importance of prioritization. In my case, I chose to prioritize saving money and relieving financial stress for the benefit of my parents. Beyond this, California Coast University highlights several benefits of prioritizing such as reducing stress, boosting productivity and many more. 

Through this experience, I learned how to prioritize; how to embrace sacrifice. Moving forward, I will no longer consider letting go as an obstacle that is too burdensome to overcome. Instead, I will take it as an opportunity to better my skills of prioritizing and willingness to sacrifice.