Reflections on lessons learned at Bonnaroo
The iconic Bonnaroo arch marks the entrance and exit to the festival's main area. Mariah Ste. Marie photo
Wednesday morning, June 12, I left my sister’s house in Sapphire for my very first music festival.
I’d been to plenty of other concerts, raves and shows but had never dedicated more than a few hours to live music at any one time.
Bonnaroo is a four-day camping festival, meaning for five days and five nights (I arrived a day early), I camped in the woods, in the Tennessee sun, isolated from the rest of society in a bubble where no one cared about anything except how to stay cool and hydrated while getting to the next set.
I want to share the life lessons I learned during this time.
It can be about the destination, but you should still enjoy the journey.
When I bought my ticket back in January, I was still working with my close friend Shawna who went with me. Back then, we worked at desks 20 feet apart from each other and hung out after every shift. Since that internship ended, we’ve hardly seen each other more than once a month. So, the four-hour drive to Manchester was filled with chatter, laughter and stories as we updated each other about what the other had missed since the last time we talked. Heeding my editor’s advice (thank you Kyle) Shawna and I drove through Chattanooga which was gorgeous. During a period of the drive, we silently took in the scenery and appreciated Earth.
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When things don’t go to plan, slow down and ask for help.
First arriving at the Walmart right outside our campground was exhilarating. Immediately, I could tell 90% of patrons were also there to grab last-minute supplies before entering Bonnaroo. After an hour, the energy changed from exciting to exhausting as we scrambled to try to find substitutions for things that were sold out. We loaded the car, and I asked Shawna to check the mirror I packed and make sure it wasn’t broken, I was surprised when she said it was intact. We put it back and immediately heard it shatter. That led to going back inside, buying a new mirror, finding out we can’t bring that mirror, returning it, replacing it, buying ice, seeing the ice was empty, waiting for the ice to be filled, all while still anticipating leaving to get to the main event. Despite how stressful these moments are, I’m thankful to the employees who helped us find substitutions, the woman who helped us check out and told us our mirror would be confiscated; and the man who told us another place we could find ice inside the store.
Always take the time to get to know people around you.
You really never know who will become your friend and who’s going to help you more than you knew you needed. When Shawna and I set up our campsite with gear we were graciously lent by previous Bonnaroo attendees, a lot of people complimented our setup and assumed we were experienced. We told our neighbors directly this was our first festival ever and most things they saw did not belong to us. This led to advice that really helped us and offers of help if needed. Diagonal from our tent were two men a tiny bit older than Shawna and I named Erik and Kiefer. As two young women on our own, there was a little apprehension, but we still talked to them and realized we were there for similar sets. The next day, they offered us coffee and we offered them eggs and we decided we’d spend the day together. This resulted in us spending all four days together and becoming a group instead of two duos. Erik and Kiefer helped elevate our Bonnaroo experience by preventing us from getting lost, making food for us on the grill and just being kind friends. By the end of the festival, we all decided we would go together next year (all four of us have already bought our tickets).
Be where you are.
This might sound obvious, but it’s the most important. When Shawna and I first ventured out of our campsite I was filled with worry. I panicked, wondering what if we get lost, what if our stuff gets stolen, what if something happened to our friends who would arrive tomorrow, what if something happened to my family while I was gone, the list was endless. When we got back (we did not get lost) I told Shawna about my worries, and she told me the concerns were valid but that things would be okay.
I wish I could say things became better right then, but they didn’t. It was the next day while we were watching our first set in the sun that I realized I was not going to get these moments back. I had four days to dance to music with my close friend, these two men becoming my friends and these strangers surrounding me, and that was it.
Music festivals are not for everyone. If you are considering going to one, I highly recommend you do; my time at Bonnaroo was life changing. I came back feeling so grateful for the people in my life and for my life in general (and for air conditioning). But to anyone reading this, whether you spend your time with your family and friends, or you watch live music in the woods, or you’re just reading the newspaper with your favorite blanket draped over your lap, enjoy every moment of your life, tell your close friends and family you love them and be grateful for everything you have because you never get to relive anything. You only have right now.
