Woman’s Festival

The Women’s Festival during the Memorial Day weekend in Charlottesville, VA was one of the best and worst times of my life.  I’ll start with the best.  I made new friends, and talked around a campfire/ campsite as if I knew them for years.  We told our most intimate secrets and laughed and cried together.  It was truly a three-day love fest.  There were women from every walk of life… the young, middle-aged, elderly, black, white, Spanish, Asian, Indian, Canadian… and all with a common commonality: Women coming together to meet old and new friends, to relax and enjoy a peaceful, fun-filled camping retreat while relishing the music, food and vendors and honoring United States Veterans. 

Though, I got more than my money’s worth by trying not to notice the sunbathers (God love them... I couldn't do it), the music was out of this world.  Watching the musicians play from the afternoon until the stars lit the sky was nothing short of pure delight.  I especially liked Sonia, who I video recorded for your listening pleasure (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgCTXPAmdRc).  She is a hint of soul, a splash of folk and a sprinkle of blues.  All of which make perfection.  Ellis was awesome as well and very personable.  At present, I don’t typically like folk music, but she combines a beautiful voice, stupendous ability to pluck at strings, along with a goofy laugh that would make even a homophobe smile (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBqeHs1rScg). 

Now, I’ll speak of the dreadfulness.  Although I didn’t have to haul all the camping gear (tent, sleeping bags, tarps, pillow, lanterns, barbeque pit, dishes, food, bug spray, water, clothes, alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, etc.) to the wooded site, because the crew attached a trailer to their three-wheeler and hauled it, I did have to put up the tent (and then later tear it down).  OMG!  Who do they get to write the instructions… foreign exchange students!  And a little hint of advice, always, and I mean ALWAYS come with enough daylight because there is no switch you can flick in the middle of the wilderness.  And please remember to bring a battery operated fan because there is no AC.  Also, you may want to be cute, but makeup and hot sweltering temperatures do not match.  And finally, there will be bugs and LOTS of them, including flying roaches (hence the worst time of my life), so bring plenty of bug spray. :0) All in all, I was a trooper and I roughed it out and became one with the wilderness.  All my bug bites can attest to that fact.

It’s sad to admit, I was a Brownie and a Girl Scout, but camping is not for me.  Still, I would come back to Camp Out every year, but next year, I might cut back on some bugs and stay in a cabin!  There's no shame in my game!  Bottom line, I had such a great time.  I'll have memories that will last a lifetime.