Our generation is constantly surrounded by reality television. There are shows that update us on the lives of the rich and famous like “Keeping up with the Kardashians.” There are shows about hot people finding love with even hotter people like “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette.” And there are shows about finding undiscovered talent across the nation like “America’s got Talent” and “American Idol.” But how many people do you know that have actually been on one?

When I tell people I auditioned for a reality TV show at the tender age of fifteen, most people want to know more about it so here it goes. When I found out the season twelve auditions for American Idol would be stopping in Omaha, Nebraska and it didn’t take much convincing for my mom, my aunt, and my best friend to agree to take off one weekend in late-summer 2013 to help me follow my dream.

On August 10th we all went outside of the Centurylink Center and waited in line for four hours just to register for the show. I had a sign with me that said “I’m 15 and ready for it #Idol2013.” I was interviewed by many news and radio stations because of this eye-catching poster.

When we got inside, we received yellow wristbands. While I was there, I received a white wristband. The white wristband indicated that I was the individual from my group who was auditioning for the show.

On audition day, August 11th, we woke up at four in the morning and waited outside Centurylink Center once again. I met up with a few of my friends who were also auditioning and we stood in line and warmed up our voices.

We entered the building we were greeted by Ryan Seacrest on a metal lift machine with a bullhorn. We took thirty takes of him saying “And this is” and then the crowd would say “American Idol.” This is when I realized that what is shown on television is nothing like what it is when it is taped. It took two hours to get that take correct and when they premiered the Omaha auditions only twenty seconds was showed of that take.

When it was my turn to audition, I walked down to the center arena with a group of three other people auditioning. We walked up to a table of two producers of the show. I went first and I confidently sang “Concrete Angel” by Martina McBride. The other three sang after me.

The producers briefly looked at my sheet, and my sheet only out of the group that sang, and told me that I needed a bit more experience as a singer. While walking out of my audition, I was interviewed by a camera lady and I was in tears. I told her that I would be back and that American Idol has not seen the last of me. Which was truer than I thought before when I again, auditioned in person after ABC announced they would take over the show in 2016. So in the summer of 2017, I auditioned again in Omaha, this time outside and in the cold fog.

I had a one friend go with me this time and we stayed up creating a new poster that said “I’m back and better than ever”. This again caught the eyes of media outlets. We stood in line for five hours before it was my turn to audition. There were a few differences in this audition compared to my first one.

We were outside, there wasn’t a separated day for registration, and Ryan Seacrest wasn’t there. I still met with producers and this time I sang “Eighteen Inches” by Lauren Alaina.

I was still in a group of three other people and I was told this time that they are looking for a particular kind of voice for this season and I wasn’t it.

It was so much fun to audition for American Idol both times and I will probably audition again in the future, but the main point of this whole story is that reality TV isn’t always what it seems.