PEX

Pex was amazing. Amazing.

Pex is a Burning Man type summer festival in Maryland. It's filled with Philly and NYC Burners, and is a much cleaner version of Burning Man - with a bonus pool!

aerial performance over the pool

Happiness

Life has been chaotic for me lately, absolutely insane. I'm going a little insane and I've been trying to calm down. Pex was just what I needed.

I spent my days in the pool. We shared drinks - mine was Jameson and a pink lemonade/fruit punch combo. We floated on a variety of floats, often forming a massive "floatilla." Every so often, Stefan would throw his parachute into the pool, and we'd float on top of it...or hide underneath for a very different crazy experience. People would push you along on your float. In the pool, people wore bathing suits, costumes, hats, sequins, water wings, or nothing at all. It was a wonderful combination of Burners and pool. It was heavenly.

the parachute!

hooping class

There were workshops - not as many at Burning Man, but there were quite a bit of hula hooping workshops. In between dips in the pool, I'd go to hula hoop workshops until I sweat too much. Or I'd hit up the dancefloor next to the pool. My favourite moments - dancing in the pool to DJ Clarkie. Or when I went out of control for Small Change's old school jungle set. 

It was amazing to just chill, have nothing to do...but relax.

I love Burning Man - don't get me wrong - but it's not always relaxing. The environment is very harsh; the conditions wear on you; and there's always TONS to do. You could go and not sleep one bit and you still wouldn't do everything. Here, you didn't want to sleep (and I didn't sleep much), but there wasn't heaps to do. Check out this blacklight balloon party. Look at this piece of art. Hear this DJ. Just have a wander.

Hoop Performance

Good friends

shot ski at fireside lounge

flipflops

It ended up being one of my favourite parties in a while. I danced without abandoned, I hooped until my scar tissue hurt, I napped in the back of the dancefloor, I shared drinks with strangers, I pulled out my favourite costumes, I tanned deeply despite lots of sunblock, I shut my phone off, I hugged old friends, I made new ones, I poured my soul out to strangers, I asked for advice from random hippies, I laughed, I cried, I reached my arms up to the sky...and it came down to hold me.

Bananalicious Costumes

Okay, so I sound like a mega hippie but it was a beautiful, amazing awesome weekend. Only gripe: the meal plan sucked and was overpriced. But the community was great. I'm so glad my friend Rebeka told me about it, so glad I went, so glad I jumped in feet first because, honestly, sometimes that's the only way to do things.

nature