3 things I did wrong (and 2 I did right) at Bonnaroo

3 Things I Should Have Packed for Bonnaroo

I did not pack a live parrot. I should have.

1. Less food I packed all kinds of cholestoral-building goodies (spinach tuna salad, macaroni salad, Cheetos, lots else) but I didn't eat a quarter of it. It won't be wasted (it's in the fridge now) but space in our trunk was.

2. Our canopy I don't know how, but we forgot to bring the canopy for the tent to the festival we've been planning since February. So we came up with a creative solution:

Ours is the one that doesn't look right. On the right.

A tarp and three dollar-store sunblockers held together with bobby pins and duct tape protected us from crazy weather throughout the weekend.

3. Galoshes The rain on Thursday night created a very muddy environment. The sophisticated Bonnaroo vets I attended with had galoshes to protect themselves, keeping their feet free on the mud that pervaded the campgrounds.

2 Things I Did Right

1. Went with friends Friends expand the music you see (and the bands you discover) in Centeroo, and socializing enhances the scene back at your camp and helps you process the ten bands you saw in five hours at Centeroo.

2. Focused on seeing music Making myself leave my campsite, where there are friends and free beer and food and shade, at noon every day was difficult, but worthwhile and necessary to my enjoyment of the weekend. Even if you came for one specific band, see at least a few others and limit yourself to one break a day.