Every year my friend Marko puts together an awesome time in between Powell and Cody, Wyoming. At a little bar, with free camping and the Wyoming wilderness surrounding you various bands from the region come to play for you, for fun, for free. People from all over travel to have a great time and meet up with old friends and meet new ones.
This year, after a whole slew of events, I made my way from my Portland studio back to the Cowboy State for some much needed home time. After frantically putting together my pastries and getting lost in the SE trying to find the TomTom, I headed to the airport to pass the traffic time with my cousin, her husband and his parents. It was the little bits and pieces of the Rockie Mountains that kept coming to me that reminded me why I wanted to head back home. Right after we caught up, I hit the road about 3 hrs later than I had intended. Within my 9 hour drive to Missoula, I had some nice conversations with myself, had some me time and finally got to see the stars again. My arrival in Missoula resulted in only a few hours of sleep and then back on the road to the camp site in Wyoming.
I arrived with Star Wars cookies in hand and was greeted by familiar faces and an Olympia. And so started the hours of debauchery. Tent city took over most of the area and the river ran wild. I set up the Nutshell in heart of what would later be bongo city in the early hours of the morning. The first night, as always, was amazing. Various bands such as the Upbeat Project, RatTrapper, the Patti Fiasco and Jalan Crossland rocked out for everyone. With old and new friends, we danced our little hearts away. Piggly Wiggly was soaked in the goodness from the festival and after 14 hrs of driving, 2 hrs of getting lost and the increase in elevation to help me out, I finally slept like a baby.
The next day passed in a blur. The bongos and steak cook off woke us all up early and we tried our best to recover for the day's up and coming events. I found my friend Timateo and we enjoyed the weather and some much needed catch up time. We all took a quick "shower" in the fast paced river and cooled down our 2nd degree burns and even got to watch the port-a-potties get emptied. I think throughout the day, I took 3 naps. And then after a game of Cops and Robbers and a few more naps, it started all over again! Music until the early hours of the morning and people being fully entertained with themselves. I continued to eat my sammich, Sour Patch, and PBR diet. Early Sunday morning, I took down the Nutshell and packed up the car and started my unwilling 14 hr trip back to Portland. As I drove away from Edelweiss, my heart twinged.
This trip helped me realized something. My heart belongs to Wyoming. But more importantly, I realized that your friends can some times disappoint you but you have to enjoy the time, what little time it is, with them. You can always have a good time, if you want to have a good time. I thought this trip was going to be a lot harder for other reasons than the driving. One of the most important things that we want, are to see the people that we care about happy, no matter how much it hurts. It's so easy to be mad at the things or people that hurt you. But to realize in a moment that you are in a better place and in that moment you are happy, washes away the being mad, even just for a moment. Wyoming is my home and oh man do I miss it. I have learned some of my most valuable lessons there and I can't wait to go back again.
The What Fest is just one of the things that makes Wyoming summers. For those of you who are ever in the area, this well worth your time to come around and visit. The success of the festival is all based on donations and it all goes to the bands. So, thank you What Fest! It was great seeing all of you and thanks for making it an awesome time!
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