“Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve . . . you don’t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
~Martin Luther King, Jr.

From the first time that I heard about it, I have wanted to go to the Ness Creek Music Festival. Whenever I mention that I want to go, I am invariably met with, “I can’t believe that you have never been! That is so your jam!” Truth be told, I just didn’t want to go on my own so this year when I saw the FB call for volunteers, I signed up and I am so glad that I did! Despite the heat and the mosquitoes, it was an amazing experience. Zero regrets!

In the weeks leading up to the festival, I had fun outfitting my Jeep to camp. I purchased new: a truck box tent and tent link (8 ft x 8 ft tent that sat on the ground and expanded my living space by attaching to the truck box tent), a single air mattress, summer weight sleeping bag, a cooler and indoor/outdoor rug for the tent link. The rest I sourced second hand from FB Marketplace: a green wooden trunk to hold all my stuff, a camp stove, dishes, and a cot for lounging in the tent link.

Several aspects of the festival struck me . . . first, the people, and more particularly, the volunteers. I worked with an amazing group of volunteers. From the festival organizers, to the individuals who cooked for the volunteers, to the area coordinators, cleanup crew, and the crews that provided first aid and security, it was an incredible thing to be a part of. Second, the grounds, facilities and signage . . . there was such a beauty in the rustic nature of the space and structures that made up the festival. And last, but certainly not least, was the atmosphere. There was an awe inspiring atmosphere of caring for each other. Over the course of the five days that I was on site, I witnessed so many acts of kindness between complete strangers and compliments from strangers seemed to be the norm, as opposed to an extraordinary occurrence. “Happy NESS” was not only the standard greeting but it was also the salutation that brought a conversation to a close.

And I got ducked . . . .that wasn’t a typo, look it up, it’s a Jeep thing 😉

As for progress on my 55 in 55 list, the festival gave me the opportunity to check a few more boxes . . . I drove some roads that I had not driven, I started conversations with a number of strangers, I discovered some new musical artists, I finished another book, and donated it under the “Giving Tree”.