From July 28th to 31st, Lollapalooza threw a four-day long birthday party to celebrate their 25th Anniversary.

Lollapalooza, a typically three-day music festival in Grant Park, Chicago, hosted headliners such as Radiohead, LCD Soundsystem, and Red Hot Chili Peppers this year. I attended the music festival on Saturday and Sunday, excited and yet somewhat scared, as I was completely new to one of Chicago's biggest summer events. I'd heard stories about how the music festival had been in previous years, but I knew the second I stepped foot inside Grant Park that this would be an entirely brand-new and hectic experience. One that I could only hope to be prepared for.

If I were to describe the experience in three words, I'd probably choose awesome, sweaty, and dirty. At the end of my two-day experience, all I could wonder was how could people do this for three days straight, let alone four days this year? While I did have a great time at the festival and hope to attend next year, I did learn some important lessons for the future during my first time there.

1. No matter what kind of shoes you wear, your feet will still hurt.

Although I had never been to the music festival before, my common sense told me to wear secure, lace-up shoes that would cover my toes. I chose a flat, sort of Vans/Keds knockoff sneaker from Target. While I did wish that I chose something with more arch support, I was glad my feet were covered.

I was actually very impressed by all the risk-takers who chose to wear complicated-looking sandals and flip-flops. When it comes to an event like Lollapalooza, I learned that you should probably sacrifice fashion for comfort. No one will really care if you come strutting through the line wearing a body-suit and New Balance sneakers.

However, even those who wore athletic shoes still complained of their feet being sore, especially by Sunday. I suppose your feet will hurt by the end of the night no matter what shoes you wear, but I'd rather be slightly uncomfortable in sensible, covered-toe shoes than be extremely uncomfortable and get my toes dirty and trampled-on in sandals. You may feel you look cuter, but is it really worth it?

2. Wear comfortable clothing that you won't mind getting trashed.

It might rain. You might get a beer spilled on you. You might fall in the mud. Whatever the situation may be, I learned that it's best to wear clothes that you won't mind getting trashed.

I was fortunate enough to avoid the rain that plagued the first two days of the festival, however, I did get beer spilled on me from other festival-goers, and I did eventually succumb to the comfort of sitting on the ground in the dirt. However, I was quite comfortable in the clothing I wore, and while I was prepared for them to get trashed, everything came out of the wash perfectly fine. But it never hurts to be prepared.

3. Put away your phone and just simply enjoy the experience through your eyes and ears, not a camera lens.

I understand the point of making memories. I understand the urgent need to post a Snapchat here and there. I am guilty of both. However, I learned that trying to capture the whole experience on your phone is a waste of time. You paid a lot of money to have a fun experience and enjoy a ton of good music, and phones and cameras only distract and take away from it. I allowed myself a few moments on my phone here and there, but the internet service totally sucks the entire weekend anyway, so don't waste your time and data.

All in all I had a fantastic experience at Lollapalooza, and can't wait to do it again next year. I saw so many great artists live, and even discovered new music that I had never thought to listen to before. I'd say the most important lesson I learned was to keep my mind open and be willing to try new experiences.

If you weren't able to attend Lollapalooza this year, don't be too bummed - the music festival returns next year to Grant Park August 3rd to 6th, another 4-day opportunity!