20 Adventures from my 20s: #17

What sort of 20-something from southern California would I be if I never made it to the "Woodstock of this generation"??? And not only just for bragging rights - Coachella is badass, soul enlightening, and straight up FUN AS HELL. Despite my years of going, I have to focus in on just one, the year that totally knocked the socks off of all the other years, the year that was for some reason, the best, the most refreshing, the most memorable...

COACHELLA 2014

This was also my first year camping. Coincidence? Not sure. I remember feeling like ughhhh how miserable the campers must be! Dusty, dirty, hard-dirt sleeping and then on your feet all day in the triple degree heat.

Wow, was I wrong. Camping absolutely took this to the next level, and made it what it really is. It feels like you're living in the happiest hippie commune that ever existed. The scenery is beautiful. Everyone is happy, and friendly and one big family. You make friends walking around. You get invited to join in drinking games on the way to the bathroom. You go to eat and you make friends. You go to yoga in the morning, get iced coffee on your way back, and get ready to start your day with neverending good music. And there is always something to do somewhere. Kathleen and I drank and danced and drank and danced and drank some more and danced some more!

This was also by far the best lineup (even if it was no Bjork like in 2002). Outkast reunited, Muse and Arcade Fire (!!!) were headliners. Plus there was The Pixies, Chvrches, Kid Cudi, Lana Del Rey, The Knife, AFI, Glitch Mob, Ellie Goulding, Empire of the Sun, Capital Cities, Nas, Calvin Harris, Disclosure... the list literally goes on!!

On top of this, I went with Kathleen and her friends and we had the BEST. TIME. EVER. The campsite was cohesive and fun, everyone brought tons of beer and food and we all shared and had meals together. We met up for different music performances inside, and even cleaning up and leaving was a full on party.

There's also something so magical and electric being in the center of the universe. Coachella is huge, a whole thing, and knowing people are livestreaming the event, the press is there, and critics will be reviewing the festival, and knowing that you're there at that time, it just casts everything in such a great vibe. It's hard to explain. When Coachella doesn't exist anymore, it will be fun to regale my grandchildren with tales of the Woodstock-wannabe festival... the camping! the music! the coke we found leftover from our Australian neighbors!

As such, leaving was so depressing. Every moment here was a joy, I just wanted to live on the happy hippie commune for the rest of my life! I even volunteer to be leader lolololol. JK. Florence Welch or Bjork would make a much better hippie cult leader than me.