I spent $250 to see Black Panther—I regret nothing.

I know what you’re thinking. “Paige…. what the hell did you do? And did that ticket come with a warm embrace from Michael B. Jordan?” Well sadly, it did not.

So, let me tell you guys a little story about my journey to see Black Panther.

Two years ago, when we all witnessed the greatness of Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War, there wasn’t much I knew about where my life was going. I was weeks away from graduation and hadn’t even interviewed for my job in Seattle yet. I knew one fucking thing—I was going to watch Black Panther in theaters with MY

PEOPLE.

As the months progressed, the more I realized that I was living in Seattle. Which got me thinking “um…how will I see Black Panther with my people, if my people are nowhere to be found!?”

It was a true tragedy.

So, when the release date was announced to be during Black History Month (like any solid marketing strategy could only allow), I knew what I had to do. Get the hell out of Seattle.

Therefore, I devised a plan. Which was simply “I AM GOING HOME!” (Chicago, if you’re new here.) I told family and friends that I would be there. This shit is for us.

I even came up with a solid justification for spending $300-400 to fly back to Chicago just to see a movie. And that justification was, “it’s my little brother’s 16th birthday on February 18th!!”

I had never been happier to celebrate the birth of my little bro bro and we would do so Black Panther style.

So, around September or October I was like bet. This is my plan. Here I come.

BUT THEN ha..ha..ha.

The holidays came…. you don’t need all of the cold and flu details, but just know I swore to never return during a Chicago winter, EVER AGAIN. Miss me with that bullshit.

So, now it was January. I was back in Seattle, and I was sad as hell! What was I going to do??

All 17 of the black folks in Seattle coming out in droves to support, at the same theater, at the same time as I was seeing the movie could in fact have been a possibility. BUT not one I was willing to risk.

So, I was talking to my older brother (who lives in L.A.) and he tells me he already had his ticket and was going with a large group of his beautiful black friends. To which I reply, “THAT’S ALL I WANT.”

So, for kicks and giggles I checked to see if there were any tickets left for their screening. And low and behold the seat right next to my brother was open.

Maybe I panicked. I don’t know. But, I bought the ticket. It was $20.

So, then I had to decide if I was actually going to go!! Because this was ludicrous.

I asked one friend, she said “go.”

I asked another friend she said “Well since you bought it already.... might as well drop the $200 on the flight.”

I COULD NOT ARGUE WITH THE LOGIC.

So, here I am. I spent $20 for the opening night fan event ticket AND about $230 on a roundtrip flight to Los Angeles to watch the movie with Black people. It was everything I wanted.

I mean sure, I definitely needed a break from the doom and gloom of Seattle, and I am visiting my brother…but he knows why I was really here.

The movie has exceeded all of my expectations and I have tears thinking about how great it was. It was a magical experience and worth every dime.

I just felt so at home and so powerful.

I don’t need to tell you why you should see it. But, I will tell you that Sterling K. Brown has never ONCE disappointed me.

If you’re not seeing Black Panther today, tomorrow or the next day for the third time—what are you doing?

#WakandaForever