A VIP Experience

On Friday I gushed about my love for Departures, and may have mentioned the VIP Gala Crystal and I were going to on Saturday. Well it was amazing! We arrived early, (they asked if we wanted to volunteer), and took our post at the registration table. Crystal checked names off the guest list, and I handed out wristbands. The doors opened at 8:00, and for an hour and half there was a non-stop stream of people coming through the doors. They planned for the Q&A to start at 9:00, but there was still a ton of people to get into the building, so they pushed it back 30 minutes. At 9:30 we left our post at the front door and headed inside to enjoy the night.

They started off by introducing the behind-the-scnees crew, maybe 10 producers, editors and mixers. Then they brought out the 3 stars of the show; Andre, Scott and Justin walk out on stage to a frenzy of screams, flashbulbs and applause. The Q&A sessions goes on for about 45 minutes, with questions ranging from "What do you carry in your backpacks?" to "Have you ever feared for your life?" to "If you weren't travelling the world, what would you be doing?"

After the Q&A it was on with the show! Yes, they were about 60 minutes behind schedule, but no one seemed to mind. On with the Season 3 premiere. To kick off the new season the guys travelled to Russia. They made a stop at Chernobyl and met a guy who refused to leave when the nuclear accident took place. The guy has been living in a radioactive zone for almost 25 years! Pretty wild. From Chernobyl they move on to St Petersburg and then east to Moscow. After Moscow they gain access to a Russian military base, when they end up shooting sniper rifles, driving a tank and gaining unprecedented access to a rival nation's military resources. After the episode the dj took the stage and the dance party began. (Of course it was pretty late at this point so most people ended up leaving) A fantastic, unforgetable, unbelievable night.

To the Departures crew: WELL DONE!