Coachella 2014

The weekend seemed so long ago now that it’s Thursday, but it’s worth mentioning nonetheless. Coachella was surprisingly the perfect mix of rest and chaos, and my boyfriend and I had the most incredible time.

1. Palm Springs International Airport
2-3. Lake Eldorado
4. Drinking a coconut under the larger-than-life astronaut
5. Crowd at Kid Cudi’s show
6. The infamous Coachella ferris wheel
7. Pharrell Williams performing ‘Happy’
8. Enjoying a slice of watermelon
9. Calvin Harris performing ‘We Found Love’
10. Boyfriend and I
11. Mandatory stop at In-N-Out-Burger
12. An incredible Coachella sunset
13. Airplane view leaving Palm Springs

We arrived in Palm Springs last Thursday just before noon. Boyfriend made a last minute decision the night before to rent a car (best idea ever!), so after picking up the car at the airport, we made the 30-minute commute to Indio. Upon arrival, we checked in at Lake Eldorado to get our first pick of which teepee we wanted. We chose one that was on the lake and further away from the entrance and noise, but closer to the showers and flushable toilets.

Since the festival didn’t start until the next day, we left the grounds to visit boyfriend’s brother, sister-in-law, and nephew 2 hours away in Irvine. I had my makeup bag with me in the car, but somehow managed to lose it between the car and the house, so I had to replace almost EVERYTHING. Luckily, we made it in time to Sephora, MAC, and Nordstrom in Irvine Spectrum Center before they closed.

We left Irvine for Indio on Friday at noon to catch our first show, A$AP Ferg. Unfortunately, we got stuck in traffic and missed him, but made it in time for Gareth Emery, Martin Garrix, and OutKast. During the routine security check on our way into Lake Eldorado, boyfriend had to down half a case of beer, as we stopped by a dollar store earlier and bought a case of glass-bottled beer for him, completely forgetting that glass bottles aren’t allowed, oops! As for the other half, we poured them into empty water bottles and kept them in a cooler. Lesson learned for next time.

On Saturday, we spent the day shopping and exploring in Palm Springs, and making a mandatory stop at In-N-Out-Burger where we saw Will.i.am’s doppelganger. Our first show that evening was Kid Cudi. This was my second time seeing him perform live and he definitely did not disappoint. It’s so inspiring to see people from all walks of life of varying age groups come together to watch one person perform. It’s as if in the midst of all the chaos in today’s society, with the differences and disagreements between people of clashing categories, he’s found one universal language to speak to everyone and bring everyone together in a uniform understanding of real, quality music. It takes a true talent to accomplish that, and he does this effortlessly.

After Kid Cudi, we watched RL Grime, Solange, Pharrell Williams, and Nas featuring cameos by Damian Marley and Lauryn Hill. Pharrell Williams was without a doubt my favourite performance of the entire weekend. His special guests included T.I., Busta Rhymes, Usher, Jay-Z, and the Jabbawockeez. He killed it, murdered it, mutilated it, however you want to put it. My mind’s actually incapable of constructing sentences fit to capture and emphasize how unthinkably prodigious his show made me feel, so I won’t dare bother.

Although being uninhibited together is so much fun, on Sunday boyfriend left the grounds to meet up with his brother at Desert Hills Premium Outlets, while I decided to stay behind and sunbathe at the lake. Due to miscommunication, we missed Krewella, but met up in time to get a good spot for Calvin Harris (sorry, Alesso), who sends major chills down my spine every time. We then watched Lana Del Rey, Disclosure, and Jhene’ Aiko.

There’s so much more to be said about our time at Coachella, but there’s just no way I can recap it all. I had every intention of taking photos with the camera that boyfriend bought me, but when it came time, I was too busy being present in the moment. Oh well, I still have my memories, and that’s really all I need. I can’t wait to go again next year!

P.S. Have you entered my latest giveaway? You can win a pair of jeans courtesy of Henry & Belle. To enter, click here.