How I Popped My Festival Cherry

By Alexandra Bonnet It’s 2022. Covid is slowly making its way to the rearview mirror and so was a version of myself. The couple of years prior to that were…interesting. To say the least. And through the cloud of fear and being locked in, I unlocked something within me. I opened my heart and soul to different experiences and met some beautiful people along the way. Friends who would hand me the key to a world that made sense. To a world of unconditional love. One of those individuals was someone who quickly became my best friend, my Lil Tay. She urged me to join them on their trip to Lightning in a bottle, a 5-day music and camping festival. One payment plan later, I was going to LIB. And it was time to pop my festival cherry.

What the f*** did I just get myself into?

At that time, I was still dealing with a lot of insecurity and as someone who considers themselves free and secure…. I realized that I was still afraid of my own shadow. All these questions running through my mind were exhausting and I almost ruined the trip for myself before I even made it.

And little behold, a few weeks before our departure, Tay and my friend Natalie came over

With TRUNKS of festival clothing. They hyped me up and genuinely wanted this to be an incredible experience for me. My heart was so full. When we got to LIB, the energy was immaculate. Camping and music are two things that I love but never realized could come together so beautifully. Everyone was so accepting of one another and kind. In a world where shame and belittling have become so prominent (and mix in self-doubt and insecurity), it was easy to lose sight of the light at the end of the tunnel. And yet here, there was no hate or sides. Just a community that celebrates each and everyone’s differences. There was so much laughter, joy, never ending dancing, lounges by the lake, Jungle Rice to die for, cuddle palaces flowing day in and day out. And funny enough, the love of my life was at that festival—with mutual friends—but we would not meet until September of that year.

I fell in love with the house stage known as the Woogie and watched Elephant Heart perform at Thunder. The Stacks always delivered the filthiest of the bass and there were times where I wandered alone, soaking it all in. There was something awakening within me and the fact that I was able to adventure on my own at times just showed even more how much this festival was changing my life for the better.I found my voice, and I found love for myself like I had never experienced before.

LIB prepared me for a summer of seven workdays to make it through quite a challenging time in my life. The beautiful symphony of sounds and colors reminded me what it was like to experience JOY. I will forever cherish the moment I popped my festival cherry.