For my 21st birthday we left reality and arrived at home. Our group stayed in Dreamville, the mystical village-like campgrounds alongside the festival that became our neighborhood, and our campsite was home base. Besides thousands of tents and people from all over the globe, Dreamville included a marketplace with several restaurants, clothing stores, and even an art gallery and a bookstore. We received Tomorrowworld newspapers each morning and could read up on the DJs and the adventures that day would entail. Everything about Dreamville made us feel that we were citizens of this new world, and we embraced it. The first night (Thursday) was "The Gathering," for the people of Dreamville to come together at two of the eight stages before the real madness began. After 10 hours of driving and a long day of setting up the campsite, we were eager to see what awaited us. The sun had set, but Tomorrowworld was gleaming with lights and energy. We crossed the bridge into the festival for the first time, eyes and mouths open in pure astonishment. Solid green lasers danced across the water, fish statues breathed bursts of fire as we walked by, and giant color-changing fountains splashed into the air with the beat of the bass that gradually became closer and louder. The Gathering was the first taste of the energy and the camaraderie among the people of Tomorrowworld. In the crowd, our bodies moved effortlessly with the electrifying sounds and people around us. In this new world, dancing was like breathing. It was instinctive. Some people relaxed on the grassy hillside, some people performed with light-up hoops and sticks, creating a sideshow for everyone to gather around. Some people were dressed like they just walked out of their normal day, others were wearing animal costumes or glowing outfits. And what about us? We took it all in. My favorite part about that first night was stepping back from the chaos with two of my friends, sitting down for a while, and just laughing at the pure realization of where we were. There was not a single thing that mattered but enjoying ourselves in this fantasy world in the hills of Georgia. The gates to the festival opened at noon each day, and the masses of ravers flowed to the 8 stages, which featured hundreds of DJs over the course of 3 full days, including Tiesto, David Guetta, Calvin Harris, Afrojack, Nervo, Alesso, Hardwell, and literally hundreds more. We enjoyed the music at each stage throughout the hills, into the forest, and by the lake; each stage perfectly unique with its own look and feel. But the main stage with the biggest artists attracted us, as well as the 140,000 other people, the most. This stage was the essence of Tomorrowworld. It was designed like a giant bookshelf, with the "Book of Wisdom" facing open to the crowd. The shape of a face appeared to push out of the pages of the book, and a woman's voice spoke the crowd. "People of Tomorrowworld," she addressed us. The Book introduced each new DJ as a new chapter of the fairytale. I couldn't imagine a better way to celebrate being 21 years young. Tomorrowworld opened my eyes and ears to happiness in the purest form - music. As the Book of Wisdom said, "It's your life, make it legendary." I think I'll do just that.
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June 2016
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