THE BACKSTREETBOYS: There Ain't No Party Like A Backstreet Party

Four years ago, I was with my brother and a couple of friends in San Francisco, on a mission to quiet my grumbling stomach and lessen my irritability. We settled on Hooters and were greeted by a fairly large crowd of people waiting to be seated.

As I began bitching about how hungry I was and voicing my irritation about how the wait was going to take forever, a tall blond guy in front of me dressed in a black racer jacket and camouflage shorts turned around, looked me in the eye, smiled and let out a small laugh.

It was Nick Carter from the best boy band in the world, the Backstreet Boys, and that day was the happiest day of my Backstreet life to date because it was the closest I've ever come to one of them in real life.

I got a lot of crap that day from my friend, who kept reminding me that I was the only one in the restaurant who recognized him and that I was 21 and needed to grow up.

I attended my first Backstreet Boys concert with my best friend when I was 12 years old. I can still feel the adrenaline rushing through my veins, see the flashing lights and hear the shrieking voices of thousands of preteen girls.

I remember the stream of tears running down my best friend's cheeks as we stood in awe of the five boys who flew in from the top of the arena on floating surfboards.

It was the "Millennium" tour.

The boys were A.J. McLean, Brian Littrell, Kevin Richardson, Nick Carter and Howie Dorough - also known as the Backstreet Boys

That was pretty much when my infatuation with these five boys went into overdrive - I wanted to eat, breathe and sleep everything Backstreet and I did for the following 12 years.

I was one of those teenyboppers whose walls were plastered with hundreds of posters, who spent countless hours with a Backstreet Boys song on repeat and watched music videos over and over mimicking the dance moves.

Embarrassing? Not in my eyes.

As a dedicated fan, I saw the Backstreet Boys go from platinum records to awards, endorsements, lawsuits, solo albums, a rehab for one member, marriage for two and saying goodbye to one.

A lot has changed since my initial love affair with the Backstreet Boys began at the age of 12, but at 23, some things are just resistant to change.

I still drive around listening to one song on repeat because it never gets old. I still want to marry Brian Littrell, and I can still tell you every fun fact you ever wanted to know about the Backstreet Boys.

I recently purchased the Backstreet Boys' newest album on its initial release date, along with tickets to the "This Is Us" tour in San Francisco on June 27 - my 24th birthday.

This is destiny at its best.

Even though I get a lot of crap from friends who tell me I need to "grow up," "get over it" or "listen to good music already," I will always be a teenybopper at heart.

I love the Backstreet Boys and I am not ashamed.

I always seem to get the same response when I bring up the Backstreet Boys in random conversations.

"They're back?"

No, they are not back.

They were never gone.

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