We all know at least one friend who attends electric music festivals or a raves. Some of us do not show our inner raver all the time, others show it every day. Regardless of our personalities, ravers have at least one thing in common, the ability to embrace and accept one another in a judgement-free zone for a few days. The people you meet in “Those few days” in my opinion, 95% of the time turn into friendships that last a lifetime. Some people think raves are a waste of money or time, yet ravers cannot wait until day one of ticket sales for their favorite rave. In my opinion, these are 5 reasons ravers are just so awesome.

• 1.We ARE A FAMILY. There is no I, or you, or me, there is only we, us, and ours. A family of individuals that celebrate their lives, their similarities, and their love for the music create a place that is indescribable. We jump up and around, we wave our hands up and down, we dance and sing until we run out of breath, and we wait until the last minute to use the restroom because we do not want to lose our spot in the crowd. We take pictures of random people because their costume is great, or their dancing is cool, and we take videos of the stage, to create memories that we can relive again and again until 365 days later.
• 2.We are fun to be around. This is probably the biggest fear of a person considering to go to a rave, but in reality, it is what makes raves so great. I know my first time at a rave I thought, “What if people look at me funny, what if I do not know the songs? What if I do not have fun?” I figured out within minutes of entering the venue that most of the people that go to raves do not know all of the music being played, but they know how to make the best of it by being with people who feel the same way and can appreciate the beat and life of the music, first timers or not. We do not judge, we come from all corners of the world, big or small, we a fun for all.
• 3.Costumes. They come in all forms, all designs, and all types of creativeness. From flags showing the logo “Insomniac” swaying in the crowd to gloves that light up and strobe. Each raver has their own style of costume, their own style of creativity, and their own style of color. Kandi is exchanged in the signs of Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect towards one another. Kandi is a way of showing that no matter who we are, we are all a family.
• 4.Friends that rave together, stay together. Have you ever been dragged somewhere by a friend to a place you initially would never go alone? I’m sure all of us have. However, when a friend brings you to a rave, they do it because they want you to experience the life, the love, and the craziness that all of us ravers get to enjoy and be a part of every time we dress up for the rave. You meet people who you would never have even seen in your own town because we come from all over. They become your friends, and by the end of the night, your family and support.
• 5.The Shuffle. Without doubt, the most common form of dancing in rave life. It is branched off of the “Melbourne Shuffle” club dance that originated in the late 80s in Melbourne, Australia. The rapid heel-toe step that is most commonly associated with electric music, and it should be. Some of us have seen it in the music video for the song “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO, but I feel that to get the most meaning out of the dance, you need to see it. Ravers all over the world love to watch and show off their shuffling skills in YouTube videos, Instagram posts, and snapchat stories, as well as all over the internet. It is the feeling you get out of learning to shuffle to dance music that makes it so great.

I am sure there are more than just 5 reasons that make ravers so awesome, the fact we consider each other family even though we may never see each other for a year, or the fact we dress up in funky costumes are just some of the many reasons ravers make the world a better place.