Truck Festival (Take 3)

Oh Truck Festival here we are again and once again you were a dream. A wet, muddy and miserable dream perhaps but a dream nonetheless.

We met this time without the accompaniment of a responsible adult to aid me through the weekend. Ok I lied, that's not strictly true, there was a responsible adult but that adult was me. Maybe a responsible adult would have been a good idea when I was chucking my guts up on Saturday night after too much vodka, but I guess you live and you learn.

This year was a different from my previous sunny, family orientated, casual drinking Truck experiences; the sun decided to take a break, the heavens opened and alas the mud began. After hours of rain on the Friday afternoon, I was no longer hopeful that the weekend would be as idealistic and wonderful as I had imagined.

The weekend somehow surpassed my previous high expectations despite the many, many, many things which went wrong. A leaking and broken tent, lakes of mud, a wet pillow (soon replaced with a muddy one), throwing up, a broken phone charger, running through mud to get to First Aid only to get lost on the way back, being wet/cold/miserable, a stolen camping chair (which was covered in sick so I guess it could've been worse), an overcrowded dance tent and dragging my friends to see Slaves only for them to end up in a mosh pit despite my encouragement that our positioning would be fine. Oh, not to mention our car almost getting stuck upon leaving the festival on Monday.

I won't go on because there were positives; they were far and few between but there were some. The weather was awful and moods were low but the people I was with saved the day; the friends I made upon offering a allergy relief tablet, the lost festival goers who we adopted into our camp, the stranger who gave me a hug when Slaves encouraged people to hug their friends and I was alone.

My friends made it all worthwhile.

Maybe the whole weekend didn't go to plan but had I not gone I wouldn't have seen Kat's happiness at seeing The Vaccines perform nor would I have got to be in my absolute element as The Wombats played 'Let's Dance To Joy Division'. 

I wouldn't have discovered Hot 8 Brass Band (cheers Grace) or Will Joseph Cook. 

I wouldn't have seen Superfood perform 'You Can Believe' or have seen The Vaccines perform 'All In White'.

Had I not gone I wouldn't have had the nicest vegan curry nor would I have tried vegan pizza.

Yes it was wet, muddy, cold and a complete disaster but I loved (almost) every minute of it and most of all I got to spend the weekend with some of the nicest people I have met. Truck, it was a pleasure as always. Thank you.

--- Aimee ---

Girls Just Want To Have Fun

I recently embarked on my first non-male assisted night out and it was wond-awful. Yes it was both; neither terrible nor brilliant (sorry Grace I did have a good time I promise!)

It was alcohol fuelled. Very.

It was fun and I danced, a lot.

It wasn't the night itself that was awful; it was the people. Me and Grace quickly became targets (too strong a word?) for the men looking for a hook up.

I was not their girl.

I did appreciate being left alone after they discovered that, actually, I was not on the market tonight. What I didn't appreciate was the two hours of dancing which happened before they cared to ask about my relationship status. And when they did ask it wasn't me they asked, it was Grace.

I did want to be that girl that tells every guy that so much as breathes in her direction that actually, I've got a boyfriend. Neither did I want to be that girl who adopts a flirtatious manner to have a £4.40 double vodka and coke bought for her.

The night made me overly conscious. Was my friendliness coming across as flirting? Were they offering me a drink because they thought I was nice or because they wanted more? Was I worrying too much about nothing?

Was there actually anyone in here who was just being nice for the sake of being nice?

I wish I could have accepted a drink without the overarching fear that the minute they found out I wasn't single I would be accused of deceiving them. I wanted to take them up on their offer of a free drink but I didn't want to take them on their more subtle offer of 'I'll buy you a drink and we'll hook up yeah?.'

Not today thanks. Actually, not any day.

I didn't want to worry about the outcomes of being two girls out alone. I didn't want to fear for my own safety but I did. And I couldn't shake the feeling that had we been with guys as we usually are, this would not have happened. I wouldn't have felt a target, I wouldn't have been so worried to have fun.

Luckily this occurrence is a rarity for me as most of my nights are largely worry (and creepy guy) free besides the odd bum grab and drunk compliment. But that's just the price you pay for having the audacity to go out and enjoy yourself isn't it?

--- Aimee ---