As the sun slowly kissed the back of my neck, we let her open up on the 10 freeway towards Indio, CA. With our sheets, chairs, coolers and pillows shifting about from the open back, I stare mindlessly at the wall of mountains that surrounds us. We are embarking on a weekend long journey that is Coachella… A weekend of loving, rule-breaking, dancing your heart out and sweating your ass off.
Where the charming phrase “happy coachella” is passed between complete strangers, and people believe that for that moment under the lights, beneath the tent, they are all one and are somehow inconceivably invincible. The people you meet, the things you see and the experiences you have… subtly remind you of the whirlwind that is the mirage-like music, art, and culture scene in the middle of the desert.
It didn’t matter if you were the one renting an air-conditioned 5-bedroom house with a pool or you were getting in touch with your inner gypsy-goddess by pitching a tent on site… Coachella is something monumentally crucial for a generation that embraces being free-spirited, open-minded, and passionate. The sunsets, random hand holding, silent raving, morning yoga, afternoon showers and long and lively nights sum up some extremely wild and amazing memories made at the first weekend.
Whether I was lounging poolside at some of the hottest designer parties or was smoking a Nat Sherman out of our poorly ventilated Field and Stream Tent… I saw Coachella in it’s truest form. By living and breathing everything the festival had to offer. Gazing at the art instillations in mind-blowing wonder, eating Spicy Pie Pizza for breakfast, and screaming the lyrics out like a rabid farm animal to my favorite bands because for once in my life… I didn’t care who was listening. A highly recommended experience for those who haven’t been, and definitely on my list of things to repeat in the years to come. Enjoy!