Returning to my regularly scheduled programming after almost a month of festival adventures felt oddly natural. Other than the piles of crochet, accessories, & camping gear that cluttered my room, it was nice to be home. When someone would ask me how everything went, I found myself retreating to generic responses regarding the weather, sleep, & perhaps my favorite artist or outfit.
But when I truly sit with my thoughts & reflect on my experiences, there is so much I don’t want to forget. Countless moments that led to conclusions & discoveries within myself, that I wan’t to share. Why? Well, I think that’s kinda the beautiful part about being human. We all have this physical existence in common. Sharing how something makes me feel or what I’ve learned from it gives me a sense of unity & connection. As silly as it may seem, shedding light on the shitty obstacles we can encounter at these events has truly helped to train my mind to handle harder situations.
So without further ado, the 7 factors that helped me find Lucidity after the Festival. Basically, an outline of what I do, to feel like I got the most out of the event. Complete with tidbits from Lucidity Festival & my first Crochet Your Way To Happiness Workshop.
Simple as that. If you want an epic weekend, you need to be up to create your own adventure. The more you step out of your comfort zone, the more space for growth & new opportunities you will find.
However, finding balance through all the excitement is important too. Knowing I had 2 weekends of Coachella after Lucidity, I opted to stay at a friend’s house over camping. The added comforts of home made the weekend more relaxing & helped me to prepare for the weeks ahead. A trade off I was unsure about, but very thankful to have made looking back.
Arriving at a new arena, or walking into the festival grounds on the first day is one of my favorite parts of festival life. You get to explore a new mini civilization & become apart of culture. I love to begin each adventure by getting a lay of the land. Find all the stages, look for water, & make note of the restrooms. This helps me to feel grounded & makes it easier to get where I want to be!
My guide to Coahcella’s Stages & Environment is an example of how knowing the set up of an event can help you to have a great time, even if you are unfamiliar with the line up!
More than anything, I am there to see good music. My definition of that changes more than middle school girl’s mood ring… But there are 3 sets I try to see at every festival:
- The performance you wouldn’t miss! If someone asks who I am excited for, this is the set I would say. I will tell friends to meet me at a particular part of the stage before they start. That way I can share my favorite music with my favorite people!
- An artist you didn’t know you liked (but ended up knowing every song) Year after year this happens to me. I am not the best with musicians names. So to make up for it, I always try to check out my friends’ recommended sets.
- A performance that surprised you. Or an act you weren’t expecting to see & enjoyed. I leave finding this 3rd set, up to The Fates. They haven’t let me down so far! Basically, allow the music lead you. If something sounds cool but there is another group you want to see soon, I check it out on my way over! The only regrets I ever have are the opportunities I didn’t take (or at least try!)
I believe art is meant to be felt. Not just seen. Festival art is one of the coolest things, because typically you can become apart of the piece. Weather it’s something interactive or an installation that matches your persona perfectly, you are given endless opportunities to use your imagination & question our reality.
Idk what your expectation of festival food is, but for me, it’s all about delicious delights from every category of cuisine. Most of my festival friends are herbivores, which I think has really helped me to eat fresh, wholesome, & nutritious options whenever available. But personally, I like to balance out my vegan meals with the occasional sweet treat or slice of pizza. I always have left over food too, so I usually offer it to those in line. Almost every time someone eats it. I’ve also come up on some tasty bites thanks to other friendly food sharing souls.
Peace, love, unity, & respect pretty much covers this one. But I wanted to elaborate on the importance of your interactions with other attendees & staff. Everyone is there to have a good time & be apart of a great event. If you’ve found something that makes your experience better, share it! I love to do a little gift giving at smaller events. Passing out peppermint oil & sharing dancing ribbons with new friends has fostered lasting connections.
I was honored to teach a crochet workshop at Lucidity. For me teaching just one person a skill that has brought endless joy to my life, was worth the whole trip. I’ll be sharing more about Festival Friendships in an upcoming post on How to Find Friends at a Festival!
This last topic is one I have let get the best of me, but i’m working on it! No one likes a friend that is on their phone the WHOLE weekend, or even a whole song for that matter. So record your videos, but post them later! I’ve also encountered some scrooge’s when it comes to picture taking. Which takes the fun out of it for everyone. (You get what you give!) So if I want pictures that day, I arrive early, find good lighting, & get creative with angles to guarantee a great shot. This year I used film & Polaroids to mix things up. I think it helped me to be more selective with my shots & spend less time adjusting my settings. I also found that other people enjoy using non-digital cameras more too!
Most of these film photographs were taken by the lovely Corina Alulquoy Brown, creator of Wild & Free Jewelry & Blog.
I hope these tips help to bring peace & clarity to your festive season! My complete Shopping Bag, Packing List, & Festival Prep posts make planing a breeze. Or for more tips, tricks, & life lessons check out my Guides To Coachella: Stages & Environment, Packing & Accommodations, & other festival blogs.
XoXo
Peace & Love,
★★★
Megan Nicole Boyd
