when the dust settles.

last year when a group of friends was packing up to go to coachella, i remember sitting on E's bed watching and listening and wondering how i might like a 3 day festival in the desert heat. i've always loved going to live shows, so in that respect, it sounded amazing. on the flip side, the 105 degree weather and stories of exhaustion were really, very intimidating.

self proclaimed coachella experts had all forewarned me about the weekend. the necessity of having a good, strong group of friends, and a place with a shower and a comfy bed. they were right, and i guess this time around i'm thankful that i started planning so far in advance. i locked down a 2 bedroom condo just a short drive from the festival in october, and it was definitely helpful in the recuperation each night. at the end of every day i could feel the layer of dirt on my face, and i can't imagine trying to fall asleep that way. (people actually camp out there. crazy.) i like my bed and shower. that, and sunscreen. i drove back to los angeles on monday without a sunburn... or having lost anything (or anyone), and i'm pretty pleased about that.

so how was it?

it's one of those words can't describe things... day one i was very overwhelmed with the masses of people and huge stages and tents. the heat wasn't terrible. actually, we were too cold friday night to make it all the way through paul mccartney's set. (amazing, of course. yet, i didn't feel it until the beatles came on the radio early this week. my heart fluttered then at that moment -- holy crap. i've seen him. -- sometimes it just takes time.)

i think for a lot of people, coachella is an event of a weekend, or a party weekend, just something to do with music around. that's the vibe i got from a lot of people anyway. but for me, it was about the music. i didn't want to drink - partly because it was too hot - and partly because i thought i might get lost in a sea of people if i was drunk - but mostly because i just wanted to remember it all. i think party weekends are probably best saved for vegas. (also, i guess the only good drinks are in the VIP section, so until then.. i'll be sober. those fake margaritas were not good.)

so the highlights... for me, fleet foxes sang their way straight into my heart. i couldn't get enough of that set... i filled up my memory card with video... and even though i was watching it alone (we all got separated just prior to), i was so very happy and content. i'm listening to their album now actually. i'm kind of hooked.

jenny lewis was amazing. i've been a rilo kiley fan for about 5 years, so when she started singing silver lining, i almost had to hold back the tears. she's so good, and her music has been there through it all it seems.

other notes... i really enjoyed blitzen trapper. and beruit. i need to buy both of their stuff next. (there's really so much i need to get now). okkervil river made me smile. the yeah yeah yeahs were great as always. (i was annoyed, however, by the loud people next to me screaming at a my little pony toy. ugh.) lykke li... i was very excited to see her... and she put on a show.. in the hottest weather of the weekend. devendra was probably my biggest disappointment. sad face. i was expecting something more acoustic and hippie'd out. what i got was a bit of a loud rock show, with people waving their arms. i was confused too.

girl talk was one of the most fun moments of the weekend. we all got really hyper and started dancing around like we just didn't care. amazing.

i wasn't really into the main stage much. the cure sounded flawless, but they're really just too emo to watch. and the killers are just too big. too perfect. i was bored.

i'm sure i'm forgetting some others, but it was a really fun weekend overall. now it's back to the grind which always just leaves me daydreaming and listening to tunes in my ipod. and writing things here. and not getting anything else done. bad girl. more later.

it's the thought that counts.

mm.. so where to begin?

i had an amazing weekend. the best. and i couldn't have planned it if i tried. i'm beginning to realize that as much as it is in my nature to plan, things seem to turn out just fine without the plan. i've always feared the non-plan because i felt things were out of my control, and by out of my control, i guess what i really mean is that my feelings weren't going to be considered, and i wasn't going to be happy with the end result. but there's something entirely different about a non-plan when it's spent with someone who cares completely how you feel. truly.

when my weekend getaway took a nose dive towards what could have seemingly been a rocky, painful crash landing, there was someone with a kind heart there to hold my hand and help me find a way to see something new. it sounds silly, that i was so stressed about such a insignificant thing; it was a weekend getaway. but at the same time, i put my heart into planning, and my past has turned that moment of to care or not to care, into a significant one. he does care and i am pleased. i'm impressed. i'm happy. he's great. i could have very easily been upset, and i could have been mad, but for the first time i can really say that it's the thought that counts, and i know that his intentions were there. in the bigger picture, our destination didn't matter. a quick road trip or a far away flight, the time together was all that mattered. and is cherished. and appreciated. again, i just feel so lucky, and that's all i am choosing to feel. those thoughts count. those thoughts make me smile.