Deciding to write about my experience at Bonnaroo this summer was an easy decision. Figuring out WHAT to write about was not. Trying to get inspired, I decided to watch videos from that weekend and found myself re-living all the concerts for at least three hours – with nothing written. Trying to summarize my four days there was difficult to condense, but after two weeks of constantly looking through my pictures and videos, multiple times a day, I've come up with four (of the many) lessons learned from a weekend on The Farm.

1. Filth is fine.

Coming from quite the germaphobe, the initial thought of constantly sweating for four days without showers was a nightmare. I honestly thought I would have to cave and pay $7 for a shower, but through the support of friends and baby wipes, I survived. I realized no one cared how filthy I was because they were just as (if not more) gross. In fact, I think I miss the grime.

2. Don't take air conditioning for granted.

I don't think I have ever been as hot for an extended period of time than I was at Bonnaroo. I'm hot in the car. I'm sweaty setting up our campsite. I'm drenched by the time I get into Centeroo. Everyone else is soaked in sweat in the crowd. I fall asleep only to wake up from the tent being a personal sauna. There is no shade. THERE IS NO ESCAPE.

3. Judgement gets you nowhere.

It's not a secret that there are some pretty "interesting" people that attend Bonnaroo, but those are the people that make the experience unique. At first I wasn't too friendly to these people, and then I realized how horrible that was. Everyone has a story, so it's important to not only respect their stories, but embrace them.

4. Pictures can't capture the experience.

The time spent at Bonnaroo is like no other. It is definitely a "you had to be there" experience because no picture will ever beat the image in my mind at my favorite concert. It's so important to put the phone down and just take in the moments as they come. You can try, but no picture or video will ever do it justice, and that's okay. Not every second of life needs to be posted on Instagram.