I have been lucky enough to see Mars live four times, all during the TIW cycle. Each time was, absolutely and positively, an experience of a lifetime.

The farthest I’ve traveled to see Mars was to NYC for MARS300. And it was beyond worth it. The entire trip was filled with moments and memories I will carry with me forever.

Anyone who knows me knows that Night Of The Hunter is the song that means the most to me. It’s a song that has brought a lot of amazing things into my life. Hearing it live during Mars300 was one of the most emotional experiences of my life. From the very first note to the last, it was breathtaking. I felt more in those few minutes than I have in a very long time. And even though I cried the entire time, I felt alive. So alive. So free. Like I was letting go of a thousand bad things, things I didn’t even realize I was holding onto. It was such a beautiful moment. And it was made that much better because it was a moment shared with some really amazing Echelon.

Everything about seeing Mars is memorable. From the moment Tomo, Jared, and Shannon hit the stage, to the very last note of K&Q, and the inevitable goodbye. It’s a million little moments, one following another, that make the concert the incredible night that it always is. From Tomo giving it his all as he plays, and you can see it in every move he makes. To Shannon just truly being a beast and playing those drums with so much ferocity it never fails to take my breath away. To Jared spilling his heart and soul on that stage. To those moments when the entire crowd sings every word of every song as though we are one. That is true beauty, if I have ever seen it.

So we have laughed, and we have cried. We made friendships and memories that will last forever. We owned the night time and time again. We’ve jumped and touched the sky, and gotten down real low. We will never forget, and we will never regret. So many dreams have come true for so many of us. But now we have to say goodbye. There are hearts breaking, and tears being shed all across the world. But regardless of what may come next, we all have each other. And we have so many Mars memories to carry us on through the toughest days. For me, that is more than enough.

Until we meet again.