The summer has begun and it's coming in full force! As I stated in the last post, I've made it my business to make this my best summer ever. I want to fill it with experiences that I've never had before or repeat the good ones I've had in the past.

The first weekend in June has not disappointed. I went to my first Governor's Ball in NYC. In all honesty, I bought these tickets with some friends after a few drinks and we all decided to "just go with the flow". I was only familiar with about 4 acts out of the Friday lineup, with SchoolboyQ being the one act I really wanted to see. I said, "F it!" I've never been and it would be a great story to tell. Once the booze wore off and I realized that I committed to this; I did what any logical person who bought tickets to a show with acts they don't know: SPOTIFY THAT SHIT!

I did my homework up until the day of the show. The weather was great, just hot enough with a sprinkle on its way. Obviously, perfect music video weather. I'll be honest, I was prepared for the absolute worst. This is a festival on an island with only a few ways off at any given moment.

With alcohol and drugs, people can turn pretty quickly. I was having Fyre Fest levels of anxiety. I figured, If I expected the horrors, I could mentally prepare myself.

However, after a walk over the RFK footbridge, we were on Randall's Island and Gov Ball was very welcoming. Entry was a breeze and walking in, I saw the grounds were still in good shape. The vibe was still festive and the music was pumping.

Right off the bat, I noticed that the crowd was young. Not like, "OMG you're 23?! you're a baby!" No, this was straight up 15-16 year olds running around. They all had the same outfit of jean cut offs and lace crop tops on. It was like a gang of Abercrombie and Fitch models hopped up on Miller Lite and E. It was a little off putting at first, but then you kind of just forgot about them. They would get cute and cut the lines but one "Excuse me, the line is back there!" from the adults and they would sheepishly walk away, lol. I did appreciate that they were really all about having fun and would just pass out when they had too much to drink. No drama, no fuss, just drop.

The medical team was on point and took care of these kids as they were dragged in by friends. I really liked the "no questions asked" policy. The medics weren't there to judge you just treat you. No one wants dead kids at a festival, no one needs the bad PR.

If you've never done a festival and want a good introduction to one, I would say Gov Ball is your best bet. Transportation to and from the festival is reliable and there are plenty of options from different parts of the city. This event was so well organized, each act was on and off stage on time. Security was plentiful but not oppressive where you felt like you couldn't live in the moment. There were plenty of bathrooms (Port -a-Potties are always scary) and there was plenty of food; not one vendor ran out of anything while I was there, which I was thoroughly impressed with. Speaking of food, I've got to highlight this one joint we ate from, it was the one with the shortest line too! But I think that's because I was definitely part of the Melanin Minority at this event. We were outnumbered to the point that when we saw a black/brown/other person we would smile to each other and be greeted back. Like long lost friends reuniting in a new land. Anyway, the Jerk place was of course the one with the shortest line. However, all the melanated folks knew what was up and followed suit when they saw us chowing down. 45 minute wait for a grilled cheese or 6 minute wait for some jerk chicken, peas and rice and a beef patty. Jerk Please!

It was an Instagram worthy experience, with plenty of art and images to feed the eye and the Gram! If the line-up is fire next year, I'll be back. As I type, I'm already looking up tickets to The Meadows Music Festival in September. I'll let you know if I'm going so you can come with! :)

Feast your eyes on my moments, because you know....