Finally on the Land

Technically, this is my second day on the land. This woman named Bronco picked me up at 3:30 in a car. She picked up a couple other women from the airport to help out the shuttle van. Then we went to Meijer to pick up some last minute supplies. It started to rain as we made our way back. It was pouring when I put up my tent, but I wanted to get it up that night (as opposed to waiting until today to put it up), and I wanted to get the tent up before dark. Of course, just after I had my tent up and changed into dry clothes and my rain gear it stopped raining.

I went out for a walk anyway. On the way back my flashlight died and I couldn’t find my tent. Fell in a ditch at one point in the dark. I ended up spending the night in the massage tent on one of their tables. The tables were comfortably padded and high up off the ground. The tent also had mosquito netting around it. Only problem was I didn’t have a blanket or anything, so I got cold in the early morning hours. But I slept well.

I start my security work shift tomorrow. Today was orientation. Beginning of festival week sounds like its going to be crazy. The line of cars 3 miles long. The Three Mile Line. Dinner is going on now. I decided to skip it. I’ll finish what I had leftover from lunch. Still kind of overwhelmed by it all. Getting here, setting up, working. Excited, but slightly overwhelmed.

I can hear the mosquitoes buzzing outside my tent. Mosquito Row, that't where I live. I have to meet my crew at the tree tomorrow morning. Got my flashlight working with new batteries. Bought postcards. Women riding bikes here. They can do that before and after the festival, but not during. Too much traffic during. It officially starts Tuesday, but the drama starts Sunday when the craftswomen arrive.

We get to use two way radios and CBs! Workers get denim jackets after they’ve volunteered for ten years.

Life changing.Things in your life open up after being at the festival. That’s what the crew leader said during orientation.I hear drumming. It has begun.I love being around nothing but women. I am so glad to have an air mattress. Sleeping on the ground really sucks. It’s almost 10:30 pm. The coordinator for my crew is really cute. She’s from Vancouver. Listening to her during orientation had me on the edge of my seat.

I have to pee, but there is no way I’m leaving my tent. It’s nearly a mile walk to the porta-janes!

So nice to be out of Cali. Nice to be in my own tent instead of the massage tent. Although I wish I had more lighting. The lamp I bought is not throwing off enough light. I have to put it right next to the page to see what I’m writing.

I have nature in stereo here. Bugs to the left, insects to the right. It’s going to take me forever to get to sleep. Some people feel being out in nature is relaxing. I am just the opposite. The weather was nice today. Not too hot, not too cool- and not raining. There’s doctors on the land. There’s an first aid tent too. They have stuff there in case I have an asthma attack. It’s Thursday night. The worker camp is filling up.

My white shirt was completely dry today finally. I washed it and my socks in the hotel and the shirt is finally dry two days later. But my socks weren’t. I’ll spread them out better tomorrow.

It’s quiet now.