Summer events

Wow, so apparently I haven't done a proper update since the end of July. This is because for my job, I go around to all the summer festivals and represent the organisation, manage the volunteers, network with the event managers etc. I was out of the office between Thursday 23rd July - Tuesday 10th August. I had a week and a half in the office and then was back out again at my final summer event for 5 days of camping. As I am now back (and have today off), I thought it would be good if I added a few highlights from the last 6 weeks!

I promise, it was like this before I left!

For my first leg, I was in Scotland for a week, which was a highlight in itself. The sun was shining, the atmosphere was electric and the people were so friendly.

St. Andrews castle ruins

This was emphasised to me when I scalded my hand. I was asked every few minutes, if my hand was ok, even soliciting a visit from a doctor who was just attending the event, brought over to me by the site manager. We were staying in self catering UNI accommodation so had our own space to go back to at the end of a long day. We were up at 5.30am and didn't get to sleep until midnight, most nights. After 6 days of this, it was then time to pack up all the gear and move on to the next event.

Vitamin water, think I'm addicted to this stuff

Trying to pack up all the stuff was like playing a giant game of tetris. Not only did we have the gear that we brought but also all the equipment brought to us after another event. The company car did not like going up hills on that trip.

Now, where did I park the car?

A quick stop over in Carlisle (staying on the same road all 3 times I've ever been there) on the way back down the country. Then it was time to start the next event. In my sleepless, emotional state, I was not looking forward a week of camping. It didn't helped that my air mattress deflated every night.

This is how you dry your clothes when camping

I was very fortunate to have a team of volunteers who were very supportive. Instead of me supporting them, they encouraged me to take breaks, advised me on gigs and took all the equipment back to the office so I could head straight to meet the girls.

Then I had 3 days with Jess and Lorri. They flew over to meet me in Northampton. It was so great to just sit in a bar, eat, chat, hang out, like old times. We spent 2 fully days in Northampton and then they came back with me to Oxfordshire.

Back home

I had a week to relax and then it was time for Karl's visit. Friday we did our traditional 'dinner and a movie' routine, which we perfected in Dun Laoghaire. Cafe Rouge was very surprising for a chain restaurant. The Duck comfit was beautifully sweet without being too crispy. We went to see Inception. Popcorn, Galaxy counters and Fanta slushie, mmmh. A quick rest and Saturday was dedicated to exploring Oxford. After drinking Moo Moo's milkshakes, buying random stuff in the covered market and seeing very old buildings, we went back to the house for dinner and drinks with Becki. Sunday was our sleep in day with a quick lunch in Oxford and stroll down the canal before Karl's train back to the airport.

Oxford canal walk

Then, it was time for my final summer event. 5 days of camping and mud, but I survived. The crowd was made up of hemp loving activists (if you get my drift). I had to take a trip back to the office to get some more equipment. I didn't forget it and surely I would've checked all my equipment before driving to the event of course. Once everything was set up, it was a good atmosphere but I am not built to camp. The volunteers took over the stand, so I had time to network and meet some supporters of our organisation, including a band who invited me back stage to chat. The best quote I overheard was:
"This weekend is like child birth: By the time it comes around again, you can never quite remember just how bad it was, the smell, the pain... until you are experiencing it again"
I packed up all the gear, once again, and dropped it off, hopefully, until next years events.