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We're watching Wicked on Friday. It will be J-‘s first time to see it live. W- and I have seen it before, and its story is bound up in our own.

In 2006, I was a graduate student at the University of Toronto. I lived in Graduate House and did my research at the IBM Toronto Lab. To save time on the commute, I carpooled with a new friend. We listened to recordings of CBC Ideas on the way up to the Lab, swapped books, and had great conversations.

One day, we saw ads for a production of Wicked. I promised to look into discounted tickets through Graduate House. Several months later, the musical opened in Toronto. My then-boyfriend wasn't interested in going, so I just bought tickets for myself and my friend.

We both loved the show, and we immediately bought the music. I listened to Wicked while working on my computer and while walking around. When my boyfriend and I broke up, Wicked provided a soundtrack that picked me up and got me going. So what if I was Not that Girl? I could be Defying Gravity.

Things settled down. Life went back to normal(ish).

To return the favour, my friend invited me to a performance of Rigoletto. Three years and many adventures later, I married him.