Maybe it's a sign of the extra-meticulous planning gene I got from my mom, or maybe it's a warning sign of OCD, but I began planning for this year's Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival as early as three months ago. The festival begins next Thursday, June 10th, and runs through the end of Sunday, June 14th. This will be a three-peat for me, as I attended both in 2009 and 2008.
I wouldn't consider my self a seasoned veteran, but I certainly learned a lot from my first two experiences. The most important lesson I learned was one and the same as the Boy Scouts of America: be prepared! Thus the months-in-advance preparation. My roommate thought I was off my nut when I scolded her for eating my Bonnaroo goody stash, pointing out "But isn't that two months from now?" Yes, but that's not the point! A chronic forgetter, I have been buying little snacks here and there whenever I'm doing my usual grocery shopping so that I don't forget anything crucial. Things like trail mix, Gatorade, string cheese, and hand sanitizer. You know, the random shit you can't recall when you're in the snack aisle but remember later and kick yourself for forgetting. I have a small cache already packed up and sitting by my front door.
Once I got all of the edible treats, I began the long, arduous task of securing all of the fun extras that are completely unnecessary but entirely worth it. I scored some cheap glow sticks at Wal Mart and some killer neon glow bracelets at Party City. Can't beat 99 cents! The trickiest part was the body paint- after seeing all of my fellow Bonnaroovians decked out in the brightest paint imaginable, I was craving some sort of fabulously bright dayglo paints for myself. The first place I went was a head shop, and boy did they have some selection! The friendly gentleman behind the glass counters full of pipes and various other smoking devices was more than happy to show me what they had in stock.
First we perused the edible varieties, which I quickly declined. I have no desire to lick (or be licked) any sort of anything off of any one else, especially not when I'm surrounded by 80,000 strangers. Besides, who wants to be covered in body chocolate when it's 90 degrees outside? We then moved onto the blacklight/glow-in-the-dark section. I ended up purchasing four little pots of neon paint that was supposed to glow in the dark. After leaving it under my bathroom light for hours and hours, I rubbed some of the bright yellow on my wrist to see what it looked like. Total bust! Not only could I not see any of the paint in natural light, but when I turned off the lights I couldn't even make out the outline of the little paint flower I had drawn on myself. Bummer!
My next stop was Amazon.com, but the best they could do was a kit for pregnant women to paint on their bellies. While I did consider it, it was $20 and seemed kind of creepy to be ordering something for a pregnant woman. Almost like bad luck, or at the very least I would probably get some suggestions from Amazon for some 'amazing' maternity clothes. Yuck.
As a last resort, I ventured into Spencer's Gifts at the mall. I was quickly shown the erotic section of the store, and again the majority of available body paint was indeed edible. BUT luckily for me, I spotted the last available non-toxic body and fabric paint. I asked the girl working the cash register if it was any good and she said that ravers seemed to like it, so it must be pretty bright. I half-smiled, thanked her, and paid the $10. I walked right outside the store and sat down on a bench, anxiously tearing open the plastic package. I opened the first color (purple) and squeezed some out of the tube and onto my wrist. The result? Fantastic! Not only is it super bright but it looks kickass under blacklight as well. I walked away from Spencer's as all of its patrons do, with a smug smirk and a secret tucked away in a white plastic bag.
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