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Rockstud Ankle-Wrap Espadrille Flat

We aren’t getting any younger.

The words were on repetition in my mind the week after my girls trip to Miami, and during the week prior to the Coachella Music Festival. My old sack of bones, tired eyes and dehydrated skin were crawling toward the bed as I exhaled into a deep slumber.

Thoughts drifted in heavy waves as I was swept into a deep abyss of my dreaming ocean. Suddenly, I found myself jumping up and down on my trampoline in a white cotton dress. It was the summer of 1991 and my brother thought it would be a good idea to put dish washer soap and water on the trampoline. It was the best idea ever.

We wrote notes in the soap, hoping that the crop duster planes flying over us would be able to read the messages. Bubbles formed as Justin added water to the trampoline. Higher and higher the bubbles would begin to rise. Higher and higher I would jump to try and see his face on the other side. The foam flourished above my head and as the bubbles multiplied, an effervescent glow of light surrounded me. When I jumped, the bubbles jumped. With weightless joy I let out a squeal of excitement just as Justin finally broke through the wonderland of bubbles surrounding me with the squirt of the water hose.

Time to wake up. It felt as though someone had glued my eyes shut. With the heaviest weight of exhaustion being shoved again me, my feet found the ground and I began the day.

We were three days in to the music festival. It’s the 4th time I’ve been to Coachella so I wasn’t too shocked when I didn’t get the rush of excitement walking into the tents as I did many years ago. Not too much has changed with Coachella in 4 years. Except this time I was tired, I was thirsty and I felt old. Really old. Carrying my slow sand filled feet to the Kygo show I figured I’d give it 5 minutes then bail. My brother led our group into the tent. Closer and closer to the stage we went, dancing through the anxious crowds of people. Within the minutes of finding our little nook among the heard of fans, the lights dimmed and it began.

“There’s a conclusion to my illusion I assure you this . . . There’s a light to all of the darkness I will tell you this . . . “

Screams erupted as the colorful lights above begin to flash along with the beat. Swaying side by side, fans clapped, heads rocked, hands waved and just as the chorus struck, we jumped. Thousands and thousands of people jumping up and down in perfect sync. The vibrant sound playing throughout the tent hit the deepest pit of our stomaches in a way that awakened even the darkest corners of your soul. All of a sudden, I felt high. And just as I smiled, feeling the first rush of excitement I’d been waiting for, I looked over and Justin was smiling too.

With another birthday having come and gone, sometimes it’s easy to accept that you are “too old” to be doing the things you once did as a child. I often find myself holding back in day to day silliness because of my age and to me, that’s just silly. It’s a simple lyric, “We aren’t getting any younger,” but it’s so true. I was holding back at Coachella, I was feeling my age. But the moment I let go and started jumping with Justin, just as I did on the trampoline so many years ago, I felt young . . . and free.