Flying Solo at Electric Zoo
Saturday, September 03, 2011
"I decided, instead of running away from the idea of a life alone,
I'd better sit down and take that fear to lunch."
I'd better sit down and take that fear to lunch."
There's a Sex and the City episode that closes with this line after 30 minutes of the ladies dating unsuitable men to counteract the fear of being alone, only to realize that it's a far better fate to be single than to settle for less than you're worth. While I love this message, what really stood out to me in this episode is the idea of embracing doing things with no one but yourself as company. Realizing I could be perfectly happy doing things alone opened up a floodgate of experiences for me, from traveling all over Europe and Asia to learning surfing and burlesque. So I've made it a policy to keep chasing experiences, whether I fly with company or solo. I would take flying solo over the regret of a missed opportunity any day.
Today for instance, I did one better than taking the fear of being alone to lunch ... I took it to the zoo! The Electric Zoo, to be precise.
Today for instance, I did one better than taking the fear of being alone to lunch ... I took it to the zoo! The Electric Zoo, to be precise.
This is not a self-portrait, I swear.
Electric Zoo is a yearly electro music festival that brings neon-clad, dubstepping masses to Randall's Island in New York. I purchased the 3-day pass a few months ago on a whim and in the end, my friends decided to just purchase Saturday passes. Since my half-hearted attempts to sell my pass didn't work, I decided why not go and lie on the grass, soak up some sunshine and listen to awesome music? Seems like a great use of a Friday afternoon, right? It was.
In front of the main stage where Tiga and Rusko were playing back-to-back sets, I kicked off my sandals, laid on the grass, swigged a beer and grooved to song after brilliant song. I never wanted for added entertainment as there was no shortage of people with batshit attempts to dance to dubstep all around me. I may have formed a hula hooping obsession over the course of the afternoon, however. Can't win them all.
The Scene
The Music
Tomorrow I'm hitting up Electric Zoo with a group of friends and it's bound to be a completely different but still awesome experience. At Coachella, there were some missed favorite songs and bands because compromises are inevitable when you do things with a group. The beauty of the solo music festival experience is that you get to listen to who you want for as long as you want. I indulged myself by finishing Tiga's and Rusko's sets, but when I realized afterwards that Chinese takeout + my bed were far more tempting than Benny Benassi's set, I bailed on the festival early, too. So easy when the only person you have to please is yourself, isn't it?
If you've always been fearful of flying solo, don't be. The freedom that comes with it is worth suffering through the initial self-consciousness, I promise. Ultimately, if you can enjoy your own company, then that's happily ever after in my book.
If you've always been fearful of flying solo, don't be. The freedom that comes with it is worth suffering through the initial self-consciousness, I promise. Ultimately, if you can enjoy your own company, then that's happily ever after in my book.
4 comments
Learning to love your company may be hard but it's so blissful, yes?
ReplyDeleteGood luck on this new project, Celine! Very inspiring yet again!
Yes it is! Thank you for stopping by Tara!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you're back! I'm kind of in the same predicament, I have the job, house, car, ambition, money, and as I near 30 (eek...next month!) my family is starting to pressure me to find the "happily every after."
ReplyDeleteMy fave part is:
"Realizing I could be perfectly happy doing things alone opened up a floodgate of experiences for me."
Just because I couldn't find someone that could take a month off to travel with me, has not stopped me, I've gone to so many countries on my own now, and in return have met life long friends. I feel like once I decided that doing things on my own was OKAY, that now my opportunities for experiences are endless.
Ahhh Cece my fave part of your comment is:
ReplyDelete" ... once I decided that doing things on my own was OKAY, that now my opportunities for experiences are endless."
Now if only we can convince more people that THIS IS happily ever!