It is April 13th, 2011. As I stand in the bone-chilling air, I take in my surroundings. There are many people lingering about, some in groups and some alone. I turn my attention to the ticket booth where hundreds of concert-goers are waiting impatiently in line. Many of them look weary from the cold weather, while others happily await their turn. I suddenly hear the large crowd angrily moan and notice a newly posted sign that says “Koncert je Rasprodan!!!” The show we had anticipated with so much excitement is Sold Out. Luckily, my father somehow manages to get us tickets, and for 360 Kuna we are in!

As we head into the crowded arena, I can hear the excited murmurs of thousands of fans getting louder and louder. The entrance is packed, but we manage to get shove our way in. This is it. I am in the Zagreb Arena in Croatia, about to experience the Roger Waters Pink Floyd The Wall Tour.

The arena’s lights slowly dim as the show begins. My heart starts to beat faster as the crowd roars. I cheer along. The bright lights forcefully flash on, and Roger Waters magically appears on stage. The crowd erupts and Waters starts to sing my favorite song, Comfortably Numb, as the Croatian crowd sings along in English. All the while, a giant wall is being built behind him with graphics like I’ve never seen before. You can feel the electricity in the air!

As it gets later into the show, the crowd becomes more and more enthusiastic. I am getting tired of my limited view and start to complain about not being able to see. A man next to us can’t help but overhear me, so he offers to lift me up on his shoulders. I accept the stranger’s offer and suddenly the view is much better. I can see everything! My mother asks the man where he is from, and he responds “Transylvania!” You can imagine my surprise when I find out that I am comfortably resting upon the shoulders of a vampire. I beg to get down, but there is no relief. Dracula wants me to experience the show atop this lofty perch. Appreciating my superb view, my mother hands me her camera and I take some amazing shots.

As the concert ends, the arena turns into complete pandemonium! As if we hadn’t seen enough, the gigantic wall explodes into a pile of rubble! At this point, the crowd is cheering so loud that it feels like my eardrums are going to pop. The house lights come back up and we force our way through the crowd to find the exit. As weget to the doors, a burst of fresh, cold air hits my smiling face. We had just witnessed Roger Waters live in Croatia!

Dylan DeMichiel is a member of the Youth Travel Blogging Mentorship Program

Photo courtesy and copyright Dylan DeMichiel