Infected Mushroom - Whiskey, Calgary

I have to say that Infected Mushroom is one of my favourite groups this year. Their set at Burning Man was one of the most memorable and they didn't disappoint here in Calgary.
I must admit, I went to the venue with some trepidation, I mean seriously, how could they ever live up to the Burn memories? Well, it surely wasn't the same experience, however, this band puts on an amazing show - regardless of their location.
I think it's because their music is so unique. Duvdev, the lead singer, knows exactly how to play the crowd and uses the pounding beats to squeeze explosive energy out of the audience. Timing is everything for this group. Their music pulls you into an almost Dervish frenzy, broken up by perfect pauses, followed by arm pumping, crowd jumping loud smack-down beats. Love it.
The crowd was made up of some of the usual Calgary-based festival goers, a few of us older Burners and a lot of mid-20's trance aficionados.
Can't wait to see them again - hopefully in Florida at the Ultra Music Festival.

How many blogs are out there about babies?

OK, I was just clicking through the "Next Blog" button and can I just ask how many blogs are out there about kids? This is going to sound really crass, but, kids? I suppose. But really, who cares? Maybe when Suzie or Frank is ten they can look back in embarassment on Mum and Dad's interpretation of their life. Maybe they can transfer all the photos to Facebook. Or maybe not.

New York, New York

OK, first of all, why haven't I ever been to New York and Manhattan before? Seriously. What an extraordinary place.

I've been to lots of cities.... including..... London, Sydney, Tokyo, San Francisco, Bangkok, Paris, Munich, Rome, Athens, Barcelona, Edinburgh, Venice, Lisbon, Amsterdam, Seoul, Las Vegas, Mexico City, Caracas, Guatemala City, Belize City, Aukland, Berlin, Katmandu, Georgetown, Jakarta, Istanbul, Honolulu.... ha! those are just the tip of the iceberg. I'd have to say that New York and particularly Manhattan is now one of my favourites. Not so much for the architecture, or city itself, but for the energy and people.

I had the good fortune to have some amazing friends who live in the area. Two of whom, Kelly and Laura, I hadn't seen since we taught English together in Japan 15 years ago. Nicholas, I met at Burning Man. He was dressed as a giant monkey. I'll write more about this on the Burning Man pages - still to come. We've kept in touch since the event and I'd been thinking about heading to New York to visit him. However, I was feeling guilty about doing so because my parents live in New Brunswick and I figured if I went to New York, I wouldn't be able to afford to do both. WELL... I spoke with my parents mid-November and Mum told me SHE was heading to New York on a bus trip the first week of December. Hmmm... that got the brain spinning.

So, I looked into flights to New York from Calgary, and then from New York to New Brunswick. Well, turns out, it was almost the same price to fly to NY and then Moncton than it was to fly directly to Monton (go figure - gotta love Canada's airline monopoly!!). Continental Airlines actually offer one way fares, including taxes, from New York to Moncton for $150 Canadian!! Crazy deal. Flights to New York varied from Calgary - but they were around $180 or so. If you're looking for flight deals - there are several seach engines, and some of the best I've found are - www.cheapoair.com, www.flightnetwork.com, www.redtag.ca, www.cheapflights.ca. Good luck! It pays to search around.


So... New York. It became my agenda to surpirse my mother in NYC. I found out where she was going to be staying with the tour bus and booked a few nights at that hotel. We stayed at the Ramada Wayne in New Jersey. It was a nice, clean hotel with reasonable rates (be sure to book online, the rates there were about $20 cheaper a night than booking directly through the hotel) BUT the hotel is really out-of-the-way and almost impossible to get to without a rental car. Which, after seeing traffic in Manhattan, I do NOT recommend!

The first night I spent at my friend Kelly's place in Westchester. I used to teach English with Kelly in Japan 15 years ago and was very excited to see her after so long. I'd also just seen the movie "Precious" and the main character had wistfully mentioned Westchester as 'the' place to live. So I approached my visit with great excitement. I wasn't disappointed either. Public transit around the New York metropolitan area is exceptionally easy to get around on and almost always available.

Kelly's house was only a five minute drive from a main stop and she picked me up in the evening with her lovely son Riley. Getting reacquainted we headed to her lovely home where we talked the night away and had some good laughs remembering out time working for the JET Programme. I'd put in only a year in Hokkaido, but Kelly managed to complete three. She's a trooper.

The next morning we hopped on the transit and headed into her office in Manhattan. She is a partner in a company called Searchlight, which specializes in personnel placement. It sounded like a lot of fun, and their office was in a totally cool collective space - right off Union Square. So, arriving onsite, I quickly checked my email and FB and gave Nicholas a quick call. Nicholas is an awesome guy I met at Burning Man. He and I have kept in touch since the event in August and I was going to hang with him after connecting with my Mum a few days.

So, getting my city bearings, I head out for the day and explore. Getting below ground and onto the subway is always an interesting adventure. In New York you can buy passes for four trips which will save you about $2 overall. I only took a few wrong legs... but that is always fun. Everyone I asked for help was, well, helpful! And really friendly. Surprisingly New Yorkers overall were really, really charming and kind. Not the stereotypical perception of big-city folk. A very nice surprise.

Be prepared to do lots of walking. My friends from the "city" warned me to bring good walking shoes, and I didn't. I paid for it with sore feet and back. But, I didn't want to 'look' like the stereotypical tourist. Ah, the pain of vanity.

So, my first day in Manhattan I did just that - walked, and walked, and walked, and walked. I walked for hours. And then I walked some more. I explored most of the South East and Central areas of Manhattan. I ended up at Museum of Modern Art or MOMA for their 'free' Monday tours. Mum's group was at Radio City watching the Rockettes, so I had to get myself there to meet their bus. This was quite a trip as the woman who I was calling on the cell phone, wasn't a natural English speaker and I couldn't understand where she wanted me to go. Ha! If you had seen the crowds around the Rockefeller and Radio City area you would have understood my trepidation.

Wear Else?! Edmonton November 28 '09

To use a cliche - O what a night!

Held at Planet Ze, this fundraiser blew the proverbial roof off of any of the rest of Canada's perceptions that Alberta is a prude and boring place. Edmonton, definitely has an interesting and creative crew. Imagine 250 sexy beings all dressed up in their hottest lingere outfits, ready to be spanked, photographed, poked, kissed, tied up, strapped up, lubed up, whatever! The private event had great security as well, so there wasn't any 'creep factor'. I did see some really young men who were mesmerized with the bondage room. That said, so was I! I can't imagine seeing a live show when I was their age - expanding minds early is always a good thing.

This second annual party was held to raise money for the Options Sexual Help organization - a place where people can go to get information and counselling about sexual choices and sexuality. There aren't many organizations in Alberta committed to this kind of education, so the party provides a great show of support for this kind of service. Condoms were supplied. NO eyebrows were raised.



It was a fun night of freedom, sexuality, expression and dance. Something for everyone... everyone open-minded.

The DJ's rocked the dance floor with some deep and funky house beats. There were several performers - ranging from avant garde theatrical music interpretation, to Tribal dance, to exotic dance, to firespinning, to body painting, to bondage, to well... I'll leave the rest to your imagination. You could also buy some beautiful jewellery and gifts from the gallery. There were photographers hard at work taking sexy posey shots and plenty of laughs were had in the studio area. One of the rules was that personal cameras weren't allowed. So, we'll wait to see what the photographers came up with. They're posting online in a few days. Should be some awesome shots.

I'm not sure how much money was raised, but the event surely was a success on the floor. Everyone there had a great time, and it seemed to me that most people had big smiles on their faces when they left. Unfortunately, it all seemed to be over too soon and the 3AM deadline swept us all out into the street. I didn't make it to the afterparty, but I am sure there are plenty of stories from there too.

Congratulations team, on a job well done.

Bassnectar Edmonton - Empire Ballroom, November 27th '09

Ok, a jump forward in time.

I'm writing about all the big parties I hit this past summer, but need to keep up-to-date on all the wicked smaller venues I am getting to experience in the meantime!

I just had to say that the show Bassnectar put on was amazing. The venue was great, the sound was awesome and the crowd was loving it.

I arrived in Edmonton early evening on the 27th. I had originally planned on being there around supper time, but the roads were horrendous due to terribly icy conditions, so the main highway was closed until almost Bowden. Thankfully, I didn't have any problems, although there was a moment where I felt the wheels of the car gliding over the surface of the road - a huge adrenalin rush followed, but that kept me awake for the rest of the ride and made me super vigilant, so all good.

Finding the Empire Ballroom was easy - it is located in the West Edmonton Mall, so we got to the venue about 9:45ish. Thankfully it was relatively warm out, so we were able to survive the almost 40 minute wait in line! There was much confusion with will-call and non-ticket holder line-ups. Turns out the will-call ticket holders had to wait a lot longer. Next time, I'll buy the ticket at the door!!! Once inside, the line-up continued to be a gong-show with the coat-check being totally disorganized and S L O W. Come on event organizers - this is the second time in two weeks that getting in to a DJ has been a gong show. (The last was TIESTO in Calgary - also ridiculous... I'll write about that one too.)

However, once inside, we were treated to a really fun venue. The Empire Ballroom is really set-up for events like this, with a multi-level design, almost any vantage point had great views of Bassnectar. I spent most of the night in a cage - with a bottom that actually raised and lowered! It provided a perfect perch from which to both shake it and see the show. I had to step off a few times, just to keep my land-legs about me. The up-down motion added an extra sensory element to the evening that kept things interesting.

When Bassnector appeared, on time, around midnight, he pulled out a wicked, wicked set. The crowd was totally pumped and energized by his mesmerizing beats. He truly is a unique DJ and really knows how to manage a dance floor. I've seen him a few times, the last at Burning Man, and honestly, this was the best show of his yet. At the burn he seemed a little tired and missed the mark when it came to flow and keeping the crowd charmed. This time he was right on target.

I went with a friend who hadn't seen Bassnectar before and he mirrored some of my sentiments the first time I saw him. He really liked the show, but wasn't sure if he really was into the music. Bassnectar is really an event, not just music. The first time you see him, I think most people aren't quite sure how to interpret the experience. Really. The next time, you know what to expect, and can let go with the flow and melt into his sweet, sweet sounds. Let the beats blast your mind and body. Move with the deep deep sounds that will shake every cell of your being. Sounds a little hokey, but it's true!



Thanks Bassnectar for putting on a great show and making the drive and line-up worth every minute.

Motion Notion '09

July 2009

James Katalyst is the brainchild behind Motion Notion. Birthed in 2000, the annual event is currently held in Drayton Valley. 3.5 hrs Northwest of Calgary and an hour Southwest of Edmonton, the party sees thousands of happy people every year

http://www.motionnotion.com/

This was my first visit to this event, and the virgin voyage for my new 1973 motorhome christened "TED". Why TED? Well, when I got the plates, the letters say TED, so it was easy. The weird thing, though, is that my car's plates say MAY. TED and MAY. Yep.

So, I drive the 3.5 hours (which really seemed a lot longer) in this huge (or it seemed so at the time) vehicle. 21', sleeps six, bathroom, kitchen. Total festival luxury. I highly recommend travelling in RV comfort. I've done the tent thing before, and I'll never go back. Spoiled now. BUT - it's not cheap. These things suck gas though, so, if you are looking for economy - skip it and make do with the tent.

If you buy your tickets early, they'll cost you just over $100CDN - they go up every month or so until at-the-gate prices of $200CDN. The ticket fee gets you access to all the music Thursday - Sunday, plus the camping. You have to buy, or bring, your own food and beverages, there are no showers. If you want hot food, bring a way to cook it, unless you are going to buy from the vendors. A general rule of thumb at all these events is DON'T bring glass anything. Enough people are running around without shoes and/or rolling around in the grass that the risk of injury from broken glass is very high. So, just don't bring it - for your good, and the good of your fellow partiers :)

Like most festivals, there are no official camping sites per se... you pick a spot in a big open cowfield to call home for the time you are on site. Some spots are better than others, and to get the 'good' realestate, you either need to get there early or have someone somehow reserve your spot.

This year, I arrived at the event on the Friday night. Luckily, we knew some people who had a nice spot picked out, relatively close to the main road down to where the vendors and mainstages were. At this event, there were three stages - two relatively close together and one a bit of a trek up and down a hill towards the river.

There was a great line-up of vendors, especially food ones. You could find anything you wanted to eat - from yummy vegetarian curries to delicious flatbread pizzas. Anything to satisfy the biggest pre and post-party appetites. Among the 'goods' vendors, there were GlowFur (always a huge hit) and funky hats, necklaces, dijeridoos, drums and pretty much whatever else you could want to find at a festival. I always have thoughts of that scene in The Grinch who Stole Christmas when all the Whos in Whoville are playing with their floob-floobers and ta-tinkers. And shake their jing-tinglers. Yep. Kinda like that.

Once you get down to the festival's main area, it starts to feel a lot more festive. Up in the cowfield, it feels a lot like a cowfield. Wiith a bunch of people sitting around. In a cowfield. Next year, 2010, Katalyst is starting a new initiative. He's encouraging campers, in the cowfield, to set up their own stages (kind of like Burning Man) and he's offering quite a substantial prize to the best set-up. Interesting concept, but, not sure how much sleep people are going to get. I don't think I'd be that happy camped next to a bunch of punks cranking dubstep 24/7. Sorry, maybe I'm just old, but THAT would get old pretty quick. I'm not paying money to hear amateurs, I'm paying to see big name DJ's - and if I can't get enough sleep to enjoy them, I'm not a happy camper. Literally. That said, I think it is a really cool idea, and I hope it is successful! Plus there are some amateurs I know out there who can shake the dust of the pro's. Should be some good beats regardless of the sleep.


It was a bit of a weather rollercoaster in 09 - with several downpours and thunder and lightening storms to liven things up. The huge skyline was gorgeous and more than one rainbow brightened up the sky. The ensuing mud was quite a fun addition - and watching people manouver through the mess, while equally messed up, was really entertaining.

The music overall was wide-ranging. There was something for everyone, but you might have to walk a bit to find what you liked. A nice chill-out type area was set up near a giant bonfire, so there was a place to relax and people watch. The smaller stage also had a bonfire to warm up around - a welcome addition at 3:30 AM.

Highlights included Small Town DJ's who ROCKED it. Everyone went OFF - it was literally pandemonium - half naked, costumed, baked and fried, they were all out shaking up their milkshakes on the muddy dancefloor. At this point with all the muck, it was pretty hard to find good dancing footing, so the moves were limited to general bouncing and smiling and arm pumping. A few people tried to bust out, but they usually ended up in a muddy heap. Thankfully there was some good speaker dancing to be had, and I found my way up to a box on the side of the stage and conducted some good booty-shaking there. I think a few leg lifts and twirls even happened. Fun times.

Of note: The naked slip-and-slide. Imagine a huge piece of vinyl rolled downhill, a baby pool full of lube, and a bunch of naked people making a run for it. More juicy flesh flying past than you can shake a stick at. Afterwards there is a party parade down to the river, where a mudfight ensues, followed by dancing at the river stage and a nice refreshing rinse off. Be sure to mark it on the weekend calendar. Shouldn't be missed.

AND Sanctuary: Every year a group of volunteers gets together to create a safe-space where partiers can go to relax and unwind. If things get a little too much, this is the place to really decompress in a caring, supervised environment. Kudos to the many people who make this special place an integral part of the festival experience.

Kootenanny 09

April 09

Kootenanny 09 official Website
http://brewmanproductions.com/

This was my first experience of Kootenanny, but 09 was its seventh year. It is really the first big outdoor party of the year in the area. Held in the Creston valley of BC, it is already green and blossoming long before the prairies. Cowtown was still drab and grey so even getting to see some leaves was worth the trip!

I went with a group of ladies from Calgary who had been to this festival before. We packed up a couple of vehicles and headed West into the sunset. Ok South first - towards Crowsnest Pass and then West - over the Salmo Creston pass.

In Creston we stopped in the local shops for some last minute supplies, water, batteries, blankets, and then headed out of town to the venue.

Located on Sunbeam Farm's beautiful property, the venue overlooks the Kootenay River. This makes a refreshing dip after a hard night of dancing really accessible. Dancing was definitely on the agenda.

The organizers had a great line-up of music, spread between three stages. The main stage is located at the end of a big field - which is also the main camping area for the event. Camping is random, so stake out a nice piece of realestate and set up camp. Bring earplugs if you want to get some sleep - or choose to camp at the furthest end of the field away from the stage. It's a little further to walk, but provides a little more peace and quiet.

The other two stages are located just over a dyke - which does offer a bit of an obstacle to manage. Last year a slightly sketchy bridge was built to help people move back and forth, it held up, but barely. Be prepared with some good grippy shoes! This is definitely a hazard that may add a little more challenge to your night.

The beach stage is set up with some great visuals stationed in and around the lush forest. Lazers bounce and reflect off the leaves as the trees seem to sway to the beats. Hoopers and fire people spin their skills providing dancers with extra entertainment. The fallen trees around make great resting places for tired bodies.

The vendors at this event are sparse but great - a couple of food vendors (provides a great hot cup of coffee in the morning!) and Bolli Imports. Bolli Imports, owned and operated by Adrian Bolli, adrianbolli@gmail.com, provides event goers with a huge assortment of items to choose from. Clothing, jewellery, musical instruments - you name it, he has it. If you can't find it - ask him, he may just have exactly what you are looking for tucked away in a Rubbermaid container somewhere.

The music line-up was an eclectic mix and provided something for everyone. You can see the schedule here: http://brewmanproductions.com/bands/bands.html
Always a favourite in my books is Adam Shaihk, both with a band and without. Each night was a little different and the music helped create an energized vibe that kept things shaking over the weekend. I'm still not too sure about dubstep - but there was lots of it on the 'middle' stage if you are into that groove.

Overall, it was a fun, laid-back festival that brought together people from Interior BC and Western Alberta. A great way to kick off the season. Good grooves, visuals, vibes and people.

I've heard through the grapevine though that the organizers may not bring it next year. Too many hassles with the town of Creston. Shame. I'm sure the event brings a nice early season boost to the local economy. Not sure what the issues were, but I hope they can come to an agreement.

Cabarete - Nightlife Part Two.

April 09

The first night I wandered down the beach, absorbing the scene and seeking my muse. It was pretty quiet the night that I arrived. I walked all the way to the end of the strip.

About the half-way point a couple of bars were blasting some Reggaeton. Here's a great example if you're interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5zdwImXOuo Lot's of booty griding and shaking. Quite amuzing to watch the white gals shake it next to the locals. OK, there's a few who are competent - and I hate to stereotype... but... or should that be 'butt'!

The music became more contemporary further toward Kite Beach, some top 20 pop and a little bit of rock and roll. Then... at the very last restaurant, I heard it. A DJ. Spinning good music. Perfect end to the stroll. I leaned against a palm tree to check out the scene and hoped to look nonchalant, I eventually couldn't help myself and started dancing.

Then it started to rain. So, everyone crammed under a little canopy where the DJ and the food was and I got to know some of the locals. Cool people. All of the folks I met were expats making a living in Cabarete. One of them, Christin Birkhin, is a realtor in the area and she rents out accommodations for longer term tennants. Gorgeous places worth looking at if you want to stay longer than a month. One of her friends Jens Hocher was there with his camera - you can check out his amazing work at www.jenshocher.com I also met Cristin, an American, a few Dutch people, you get the picture - pretty multi-national.

Andre Buljat was spinning, along with another DJ - I didn't catch his name. They were in Cabarete for a huge party the next weekend. That happened to be Easter, or Semana Santa, and the biggest party of the year in the DR.

OK, I must say, this was just the beginning of the party season for me, and I wasn't ready for the huge party. Yet. Besides, I hadn't planned my visit with this in mind, so all the hotel rooms were booked in town. So, short story is, I rocked off to the mountains for some downtime.

More than 50 000 people, locals and tourists alike, hit this small beach town to party for Semana Santa.

Here's a couple videos of the craziness (I don't know these people - just found their videos on youtube):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjR7O3_KFr8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF1q_VzIGqM&feature=related

If you watch the long video, you can see how each of the main bars on the strip are sponsored by one of the big liqour companies and these companies build HUGE stages right on the beach. Funny enough, I met the girl in the blue dress who is latin dancing - she was from Romania (I think)!! Small world. Each of these stages blasts music - and since they are literally a few meters apart, you can imagine the noise!
The second video is pretty poor quality - but then, probably reflective of peoples' general perceptions in the evenings of Semana Santa in Cabarete. Blurry and loud.

I heard that it WAS a crazy scene and worth checking out if you are up for it!! Book EARLY for a place to stay if you are going there over Easter. And be prepared not to sleep if you are ANYWHERE close to the beach. The bars stay open until 4 AM - and people generally blare their music from car speakers 24/7.

Bring ear plugs.

Cabarete - Nightlife Part One.

March 09
Ah, the heat. Glorious after five months of Canadian winter. I can feel my skin drinking in the humidity. Really, my hands are smoother after only a few hours, it's delicious.

Cabarete.

Arrival was a little overwhelming. I always feel like such a big, dumb, target -kind of like a deer in the headlights. Over the years I've learned to walk around like I know what I'm doing when arriving in a strange place. However, I'm sure that all the locals take one look at me and think "Look at her - she's walking around like she wants me to think she knows what she is doing. Stupid foreigner."

So I put my hair up (which at this point is turning into an afro - a negative byproduct of the aformentioned humidity), put some lipstick on, check the stubble on my white legs (still within acceptable limits) and head out to explore the night.

You can see the main area of the Cabarete beach - just follow the lights and you'll arrive. There is a very lively and engaging group of restaurants and bars side-by-side on the main beach. Each has its own unique theme inside that spills out onto the beach. Think clean, chic, white couches and table cloths in the sushi place, and nextdoor at the Irish pub "Jose Oshay's" chunky, sturdy stand-up-to-any-shennanigans hardware. Visually, it is quite something as each bar has decorated its space with theme-appropriate stuff. Elegant paper lanterns, delicate Christmas lights, colourful silks all adorn the palm trees and blow gently in the breeze, table candles lure visitors to come sit with their twinkles.

The whole strip is about a kilometre long, with thirty or so establishments, and is very eclectic. You can have almost any dining and/or drinking experience you want. Interspersed between the eating places are shops, usually supplying goods and services that take advantage of Cabarete's main adventure tourist draw - the wind. Think windsurfing and kitesurfing. Again, lots of yummy eye candy around. Both sports are physically demanding and the people in the area are serious about their athletic pursuits. Lean, tanned, flexible, strong... did someone turn up the heat in here? Ahem.

Then there's the dancing. The Dominicans love to dance and play music. Loud music.

More next blog.

Dominican Republic - Cabarete

Well, after some thought and deliberation - as in, where can I go that I haven't been that has palm trees and has reasonable airfare from Calgary mid March - I decided
to go and explore the Dominican Republic.

Good decision. This colourful little country has lots to see and do - including great places to party.

I flew into Puerto Plata - WestJet has direct flights there during the Winter - as it was near the end of season, prices weren't too bad. They have flights to Punta Cana and La Romana airports too - so easy access to the DR from Cowtown (Calgary's nickname for all you who don't know). I chose Puerto Plata because there was surfing nearby and, from all accounts, a fun little place called Cabarete.

I got to know the guy sitting beside me on the plane. He'd been to the DR several times, so he knew the ins and outs of the airport. It's always a little overwhelming, being a single female, to arrive in an airport in a developing country. When you have only sketchy language skills it adds a little extra adrenaline to your day. Trust me.


The guy explains to me that Cabarete is a little more than an hour away from Puerto Plata (he's on his way to Sosua - about half way in between) and that there are a few options to get there. Taxi is the most expensive, Gua-Gua is the second most expensive, and Motoconcho is the cheapest. There are good reasons for this. But... I don't want to bore anyone who cares to be reading this blog about the small details. If anyone is interested, I'll add another blog about travel in the DR.

The point is I arrived in Cabarete (by taxi this time!) and got settled into my hotel. Initially I stayed at the Alegria Hotel. A nice, clean, cozy hotel tucked just off the beach. Here's a link to accommodations in the area: http://www.activecabarete.com/lodging/ I also stayed at Ali's Surf Camp, or Cabarete Surf Camp. This place is a fantastic spot to meet people. If you are travelling alone and feel the need to connect with some like-minded adventurers, you might want to check it out. Either head down there for dinner - they have a delicious fixed-price communal meal every night for their guests - sign up for a surf day, or book yourself into their space. They have a great range of accommodations from small, sparse bungalows to fully stocked apartments. You'll find whatever you need there. Including the party!


It's a diverse little village and really an active 'hub' for the North coast of the DR.

This also means that when you party, you are partying with some very fit, delicious looking people... from all over the world. Yum.

So, I got settled in and then decided to go out explore the nightlife.

So... what happens when you get a large sum of money and time to spend it?

Well, let me tell you what happens. It becomes your mission to visit as many big parties as you can.

For research purposes, of course.

Seriously. I've always imagined throwing super fun-tastic boogielicious events, so over the last six months I've experience as many shakers as I could.
Luckily for me I had an equally keen cohort along for the proverbial ride, so they also have lots of stories to share and expand upon mine. I'll be hitting them up for their input, so watch for guest blogs now and then.

Now that I've got some time to sit and think and reflect, I'm excited to share with you the highlights.

Hopefully, you'll have the chance to visit at least one of the wonderful places and festivals that I did at some point in your life.

I plan on keeping the faith and adding to this blog as often as I can. A long time, I hope.