#ultramiami

By: Claudia Manganiello

HARD Summer Music Festival.

These days it seems all I notice are how so many people are in close contact every day. I’m from New York City so I’m used to being in a crowd but I never realized how accostumed I was to being around THAT MANY people. Even if you’re not in Manhattan, almost everyone everywhere really does live literally ON TOP of each other. So as anyone else in this I’ve been scared of people. Annoyed at how close we all are so why we can’t be free outside. But mostly I realized just how much I really miss people. Different people. Anyone. Friends and family more ofcourse but even strangers! I miss just sharing a smile with a stranger down the street without masks. And I’ve been in a long distance relationship before so I know how hard and helpless it can be but now I feel like I’m in a long distance relationship with everyone. Waiting for the day I can get the hugs I so desperately need, and waiting just to spend time together doing nothing, anything. But this time I’m not sure how long I’m waiting, which has to be the scariest part. But as always I’m trying stay positive and hope that the day we can reunite with our loved ones safely is very soon.

But still it’s sad that it seems huge tourist destinations and large concert events aren’t something we can enjoy in any near future. I cherished the times I combined my two loves and traveled for music festivals. I’ve traveled to Ultra Music Festival in Miami, EDC Las Vegas and HARD Summer in California. The greatest thing about these events is they’re usually hosted in or near big cities that you want to cross off your bucketlist anyway!

Ultra Music Festival.

But the special love I have for music festivals is the fact that you get to be around so many people that love the same music you do. There’s an energy you really can’t experience at home. It’s not from listening to the music you love and crying your eyes out in your shower, it’s the energy and connection you get from seeing a bunch of people singing the same lyrics with just as much passion and emotion as you do. It’s energy you don’t get from dancing in your underwear at home (fun) but from laughing, holding hands, seeing others enjoy and enjoying with them.

Galantis at Ultra Music Festival.

It’s about experiencing with friends but also with complete strangers that you find may not be so different from you. The friends I’ve met and times we’ve had at music festivals are so special to me. I’m so glad I got to experience what I have, but I really hope that I can experience it again.

Ultra Music Festival.