Phoenix Fest was excellent despite a few minor let-downs...

We got there Thursday evening, the drive was looooooooooooong. We were thinking 3ish hours... the trip was more like 6. We got turned around a few times, but it was really a pretty smooth trip. We got to the campsite... it was really less tree-like than I expected, lots of rocks and red dust. I just hung around the first day and a half, occasionally talking to people and just hanging out in the shade tent to keep out of the sun while Frank ran around here and there getting things worked on. Friday I hung out, napped, and helped with serving dinner with Michelle, chatted with her for a while. She's really cool, really laidback. I worry sometimes that Frank's friends might think I'm a snob or something, but it's really that I'm horribly, horribly shy around new people, especially in large groups. I did notice though that a few of them were going out of their way to make me feel welcome, and that is always appreciated.

The trip turned up Friday night, Julie and Dave got there so I wasn't spending all my time by myself and Frank started having more time to hang out. I noticed he was checking on me whenever he had a free minute, so I know he was busy. Julie and Dave were napping a lot. I'm sorry they didn't have a lot of fun, but, well, it's camping. You either love it or hate it. I loved it... well, - sleeping on rocks and horrible heat. I think they set their expectations too high... I'd never been there before so I didn't really have any. I noticed they left first thing sunday morning which must have been early, because we got up at 9 and started packing and they were already gone. It was kind of.. um.. startling... I mean, they were there when I was all rolling and stuff saturday night then just gone when I wake up and we're out in the middle of nowhere. Isn't that how horror movies start out? I'm not upset that they left or anything (Had I had a car of my own, I probably wouldn't have made it through sunday myself) but I wish they would have left me a note or told someone that they left... that would have saved me about 15 minutes of panic and heart attack.

Saturday was by far the best part of the trip, and also the shortest. Everyone dropped about 10-ish, hung around camp til it kicked in, and started walking around. It was nice, I talked to pretty much everyone in the group at least once and got to see all the stages and stuff. Frank and I talked a lot, about everything and nothing. We talked through the whole trip, really... very open, very honest. I don't know if he realizes this (which he definately should by now), but I like him a ton. Our personalities are similar enough for us to mesh well but different enough to make things interesting. Fuck, in September we'll have been dating for a year. That's a long time... (damn tangents!) Anyway, the e was totally superb...and I hadn't done anything like that in a while, so it was extra nice. Practically no hangover the next day aside from a slight headache, tiredness, and light sensitivity... all the norm. Frank took care of me and made me drink plenty of water during the night, I think that helped a lot.

Would I do it again? Yes... and it should be better because I know what to bring now to prepare. So, cool.

Sleep now, k? Thanks.