At the End of Dreary Winter, We Have Coachella To Look Forward To

After the new year, the rest of winter is a long dreary period that feels never-ending. With the only upcoming holidays being national holidays that only equate to a day off from work (though you are not sure why) or those where you are commemorating/commiserating with a loved one/friends, the latter with plenty of booze (both St. Patrick’s Day and Valentine’s Day), the endless winter days seem shorter because the cold and darkness keep you inside for days on end.  The best thing to do is not let the chilly weather affect your disposition and instead make plans for the rest of the year, plans which can include one of the best (albeit mainstream) music festivals that takes place in southern California, Coachella.

After years of longing, days of naysayers saying it wasn’t worth it, hours of anxiety, and a couple of minutes of stress as my co-workers and I realized we all shared the same IP address so only one of us would actually be able to buy tickets, I got myself and my friend/roommate/comrade Steph two tickets for the first weekend of Coachella 2012.  I was fortunate to get tickets for the first weekend, since NY Creative Interns’ conference “Finding and Following Your Passion” is on April 21st and I don’t have to have the inevitable confrontation with the rest of the team not dissimilar to a teenager wanting to blow off a family reunion to go to a concert. In fact, that would have been the situation, if it had occurred, but thankfully it was a fortunate ending, everyone is happy and I can’t wait for both events.

I’m working on building out a Coachella 2012 Playlist on Spotify, which so far has 5 bands and already spans seven hours. I haven’t been to California since I was four and have never seen some of my favorite bands like Radiohead, The Shins, Cat Power, Neon Indian, and Feist. I literally read through the lineup and am always surprised that I didn’t realize a certain band was playing and make discoveries such as Black Lips, Childish Gambino, and The Vaccines.

Though I’m more than fully aware that the average Coachella attendee has changed throughout the years, it is one of those silly goals I want to accomplish before I’m a “full-on adult.” Also, when you work 50+ hours a week at your job along with freelance work and pursuing other career-focused goals, running off to California to see The Black Keys perform in the desert reminds you that you are young, somewhat foolish, and living.