On the last Friday of March, I was hanging out in the living room of my college apartment when I received what is likely the most insane message I have ever seen from my mother:
“I was thinking about sending you to Coachella with a friend.”
Now, if you knew my mother, you’d know it’s not too uncommon for her to craft elaborate vacations that we can only dream about, but never actually see come to fruition. Just like when you house shop on Zillow, pretending you can afford homes that cost upwards of $10 million.
However, she was very serious and within the next few hours she had booked the flights, bought the Coachella wristbands and confirmed a hotel for my childhood best friend, Paulina, and me.
Coachella is one of the largest music festivals in the world, bringing hundreds of thousands of people to Indio, Ca. to see some of the biggest names in music. It is really a place I only ever dreamed of going, so now that I am, I want to do it right.
Now besides the obvious elaborate outfits that were thrown together 12 hours before our flight, the comfiest pair of shoes that we own and the basic travel necessities, we packed a few Coachella-specific items that we hope will make our experience in the desert a little easier.
- ClearedM – Clear Hydration Pack
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Our number one priority while in Indio is to drink as much water as we possibly can. Historically, temperatures can reach well over 100º and the only way to make sure that this experience is as enjoyable as possible is by avoiding dehydration.
Despite the silly look of it, I would much rather feel good and have access to cold water at all times than look “cool” and drink out of an overpriced warm water bottle.
- Electrolyte Drink Mix
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Sticking with the theme of hydration, we packed a large pack of electrolyte drink mix powder, with a variety of flavors, to put into our water.
This will help us stay hydrated and energetic throughout the long hours in the sun on our feet, as we are screaming the lyrics to our favorite songs.
- Adhesive Bandages
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The last thing we want is to have to venture away from our spot near the stage to a medical tent when one of us scrapes our knee, or has a blister from our shoes.
So, naturally we packed a pack of cute bandages to save the day if we need them.
- Portable Charger
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It’s hot, it’s dusty, you’re in the blaring sun. What could make all of this a lot worse?
A dead phone.
Not only do we want to document our entire journey to live out our Coachella vlogger dreams that we used to obsessively watch Youtubers do many years ago, but also it’s a safety concern.
We will be in a new place all the way across the country with only each other as young women. It is crucial that we can have contact with each other in the case that we get separated, but also to stay in contact with our friends and family back home.
So, we packed the biggest portable charger that we could find in order to keep our phones fully charged at all times.
- Sunscreen
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Probably the most obvious item is also one of the most important. Most of us are all too familiar with the brutality of sunburn and how it can incapacitate you.
This is most likely a once in a lifetime opportunity so we refuse to be held back by the sun. We plan to reapply sunscreen religiously throughout the duration of our time at Coachella and return with a nice glowy tan, not an alarming red burn.
- Bandanas/face Coverings
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Believe it or not, for the first time in years, we are bringing face coverings for a reason other than COVID-19. There can be dust storms that make it hard to breathe, so a face covering is a must when it comes to a festival that takes place in a desert.
Now, maybe some of these items will be rendered useless, but as we always hear, it is better to be safe than to be sorry.