For those of you who don't know, the Electric Daisy Carnival is one of the biggest EDM festivals in the country. Held every year at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, this festival attracts 135,000 attendees for three days of incredible music and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. For any dance music fan, EDC is the big one.

1. It’s bigger then you could ever imagine

EDC is known for its incredible over-the-top production. But nothing could have possibly prepared me for what I was about to experience. I first realized I had no idea what I had gotten myself into when I walked into the speedway and was completely unprepared for the size of the venue. At the top of the stands, this playground stretches out as far as you can see. As you get closer, the stages tower 50 feet above you, and you realize how small you really are.

2. Be creative with your outfits!

I spent who knows how much time worrying about what I was going to wear. And when I got there I realized how glad I was. Everybody at EDC really brings their A-game, wearing such incredibly intricate, and sometimes homemade, outfits. The creativity and inspiration of the costumes completely blew me away. Even though I loved my outfits, I was still feeling like I could have done so much more.

3. The desert is really, really hot.

It didn’t really register to me just how hot 110 degrees was. Going into the weekend with a forecast calling for 113-115 degrees, I knew it was going to be hot. I just had no idea how hot. Now I understand why the show goes from dusk till dawn, because if it started any earlier, we would all melt. The heat was so brutal during the day that we didn’t really dance until the sun went down. Nobody seemed to really talk about the heat, so be warned. The desert is very, very hot.

4. Prepare to spend an hour crossing the speedway.

When doors open and the crowds are still on their way, the speedway is nice and spacious, and it can be pretty easy to walk around and explore everything EDC has to offer. But don’t be fooled; a walk from one stage to another that takes ten minutes during the evening will take about an hour at 3 am. The sheer number of people trying to migrate at the same time leads to crazy congestion in all walking areas. Plan accordingly!

5. Sneak in some healthy snacks.

Festival food is known for being completely overpriced, and mediocre. After three days of eating $10 corn dogs and french fries, I was so over it. Plus the lines for food will take up so much of your precious time! Even though you aren’t technically allowed to bring in outside food, hiding a few power bars in your backpack will really save your wallet, and your stomach.

6. Don’t stress over finding your friends.

Between everybody having different taste in artists, and the sheer size of the speedway, once you separate, your friends will be gone forever. You can meet up again if you really try, but once the crowd shows up, cell service is almost completely gone, so it takes some very dedicated planning. Spend as much time together as possible, but don’t miss your favorite artists to stick with your group. You will have a better time if you go where you want to go, even if you go alone.

7. You will cry. A lot.

I can’t even begin to express the emotional roller coaster that was my EDC weekend. I probably cried at least ten different times. Walking into EDC and realizing I had finally made it brought me to tears. I also had a particularly traumatic emotional breakdown around 3:30 am on Sunday morning because I was so incredibly exhausted, but I had to stay till sunrise to watch Dillon Francis’ surprise set. I have never been so tired. I cried until that weekend. Seeing that sunrise on the last day and knowing the most incredible weekend of my life was over made me cry the hardest as I headed home.

Looking back, I can say with absolute certainty that I’m glad I went and I learned a lot for next time. I would recommend EDC to anybody, even if you don’t listen to dance music, because of how incredible the production was. It truly was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I hope someday I can make it back, knowing what I know now.