“Traveling is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.”

Ever since I was a little girl, my focus has been on seeing the world. I’ve dedicated my life to this passion, turning it into not only a career but a way of life. I believe that each trip that I’ve taken–no matter if it was to an exotic international locale or a neighboring town–has taught me something. Even the trips that were difficult–getting lost in Japan, food poisoning on my honeymoon in Thailand, rain every single day in Germany– All of those situations, though not desirable, did teach me about the kindness of strangers, communicating with language barriers, finding creative alternatives and about myself. However, for all those tough travel mishaps, I’ve had 10 times the amount of unexpected good come out of my trips.

I don’t have all the money in the world, but I never, EVER regret the money I spend on travel. Whether it’s a beach getaway, a surprise trip home to see my parents, or an impromptu friends weekend away–every single trip has brings memories I’ll never be able to forget. That’s why the Priceless Experiences campaign with IHG Rewards Club really resonated with me. Though you technically can put a price on travel, you can’t put a price on those special moments that your travel creates.

On a quiet Tuesday night in December, I experienced a priceless night with IHG and Mastercard, just down the road from my home. My husband Dave and I were invited to an intimate concert and a meet-and-greet with musical artist Andy Grammer. We were given the VIP treatment with a black car pick up door to door, from our home in Santa Monica over to the Crowne Plaza LAX Hotel, just next to airport. The evening only got better from there.

IHG Rewards Club Priceless Experiences Event with Andy Grammer on Tues., Nov. 29, 2016, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Casey Rodgers/Invision for InterContinental Hotels Group/AP Images)

We started off with a bang with getting to meet Andy and chat briefly. He generously said I looked familiar, which I joked must have been because he watches all my youtube videos (lol). We took a photo with him before he had to go prepare for his concert for our small group.

Dave was starving so straight to the food we went. We sampled hand rolled sushi, made to order tacos, fresh pizzas and more.

I was very impressed by the handcrafted cocktails created by famed mixologist Alex Ott. I seek out unique cocktails and I really enjoyed the combinations of the unusual ingredients he used, like tea, superfruits and rose. I even had the chance to get behind the bar and “make” some of these cocktails myself!

Creative Cocktails

The night continued with more of these memorable moments. We made our own custom printed t-shirts, posed in front of a step & repeat for a glamor shots and tasted scoops of my favorite ice cream from the Salt & Straw cart! Note: If you haven’t had Salt & Straw, look them up now and go as soon as you can.

This ice cream deserves the attention!

Of course, the main event was Andy’s performance. We sat front row and were in the thick of the energy of the music. Andy’s enthusiasm was infectious and I turned around to see the whole room rocking out to his happy beats. He also told us the stories behind the lyrics between songs and he shared a lot of personal anecdotes about life and his start in music which I found to be really humanizing. I knew a few of his hits and liked their positive sounds and catchy choruses. However, I was surprised by how much I liked some of his songs that I’d never heard before.

Front row of Andy Grammer’s show

A Tuesday in my hometown was transformed into such an unforgettable evening, filled with surprising, hilarious and tasty moments that I shared with my husband. I think what IHG and Mastercard successfully showed us was that these types of travel experiences, even local ones, can make life richer. Thanks for giving us a #PricelessExperience!

This post was sponsored by IHG Rewards Club Priceless Experiences.