how to survive a music festival

1. Be prepared. This is a critical step. For example, if you do not pack until the last minute, you will hate your outfits and subsequently every picture taken of you. If you're me, you remedy this by shopping the day before your trip and wearing your new clothes both nights. If you are Julia, you prepare by making a color-coded excel spreadsheet of all the festival bands and showtimes. If you are Liz, you do the math and pump your body with enough insulin to ensure that you will remain living through the weekend. Afterall, no one wants a vacation at bernie's scenario. Not by accident, anyway.

2. Be willing to try new things. That may mean tasting things that aren't just a plain cheese sandwich or a cheeseburger. 

3. Be available. Because 9 times out of 10 you will get separated from your group and will be left to fend for yourself in the mass of sweaty, swaying bodies. Also, you might want to tipsy text or chat your husband, friend or pet cat.

4. Be tall, or thrifty at least. This is probably the most important step. But, if you're like me, God gave you a stumpy torso that puts you in at around 5'5''. If that's the case, squeeze your way to the front-ish using any means necessary - crawling between legs, walking behind the garbage cans, bursting through hand-holding couples like it's a game of red rover, etc. 

5. Be fun. Nothing is worse than someone who isn't willing to let loose at a music festival. And if someone is getting too loosey goosey to the sonic flood, enjoy instead of judge. You're the one missing out. (With fun, comes being respectful to your neighbors. Double check to make sure they don't mind that you're screaming David Grey "Sail Away" in octaves unrecognizable by the human ear.)

6. Be responsible. If you're going to have a big ol' blast, be ready for recovery. For us, this included lots of water, downing the biz (aka pink glory, aka target brand pepto) and eating a big breakfast. 

What I'm trying to say is, I had a wonderful weekend at Basillica Block Party. Great company, great music, great stories. Someone biffed it on the sidewalk walking home, someone drank their own contacts in the middle of the night and someone actually peed their pants. How could I have a bad time?