Three weeks into summer, and I'm finally beginning to feel like I'm off from school. I've had time to unwind, find a summer job or two, and see those friends I went months without seeing. Never mind the fact that I've also woken up in a queen sized bed every morning, and seen my parents every day too—it's really the simple things in life, right? It feels beyond good to finally have time off from school, and even though I miss my friends from Alabama, I like to think that I have one exciting summer to look forward to.
The biggest event of my summer is upon me, and I have approximately a month until it happens. I was reminded of the impending awesomeness when my dad threw an envelope at me last week. Inside of that white envelope: my Firefly Music Festival 2016 pass. For four days in mid-June, I will spend all waking hours singing and dancing around The Woodlands, a patch of woods across from the Dover Speedway in Dover, Delaware. I'll probably get sunburnt, and have to wait in ridiculous lines for food and water, but I don't think that will hinder me from enjoying artists like Fetty Wap, Mumford & Sons, Florence & the Machine, and Two Door Cinema Club. Doesn't that just sound astounding?
Last year, in the midst of my "I just graduated high school" freedom, I went to Firefly for the first time. I was only able to stay for two of the four days, but those two days were definitely a new world experience I needed. Sometimes, you go to the gates an hour and a half early to get into the festival first, and I wouldn't trade running to one of the many stages and standing in the same spot for seven hours on the first day just to see The Kooks front row. There is no alternate universe where I wouldn't spend my day napping in the Hammock Hangout, seeing Paul McCartney sing "Blackbird" live, and getting a picture with Marian Hill after dancing and singing along in the front row. Going to a music festival showed me how big the world can be in a small place. People from all kinds of backgrounds, from several different nations, gathered for music. I couldn't be more grateful for my experience at Firefly, especially because I had a pretty cool group of friends with me.
Oh, hey, that picture of my friends and I with Marian Hill.
I'm not quite sure what to expect at Firefly 2016, but I like that. I'm far from being a music festival expert, but I know that if I'm listening to some good music with some good company, I have no other cares in the world. I get to have four days to escape from reality and sleep -- isn't that what music festivals are for? If two days at Firefly were life changing, imagine what four days will do! Until June, Firefly Music Festival. I'll be seeing you at The Woodlands.
Pre-Firefly concert selfies with the best!