It’s 1pm, and I’m on stage at Woogie Weekend acting as middle man in a transaction that involves a group of cute girls in the front row, house music, a handle of vodka, and FDVM.

24 hours ago, I had just woken up in Slovakia.

I had just spent 5 weeks traveling through the Eastern Bloc of Europe and my second meal back in the country was at a music festival. After 18 hours of travel, shitty airline food, no sleep, and too much coffee, the last place most people would want to end up is in the middle of a dusty lake bed, pitching a tent in the searing heat of the Southern California sun. But I’m not talking to most people and Woogie Weekend is not like most festivals. Nestled under an oasis of trees, and split in half by a serene pond, Oak Canyon Park in Silverado, CA was the container for Woogie Weekend’s 2nd year running. Praised for it’s curated deep/tech house lineup paired with a chilled out atmosphere you won’t find at many other events, Woogie is the perfect setting to come home to.

But here’s the rub: how do you stay awake and active while fighting the creeping vibes of sleep at every turn?

Like to travel often? Love adventure? Spend much of your time on planes? Here are some tips and tricks for beating jet lag while still kicking ass at a music festival:

Find a place to chill out.

Make it your homebase, your temporary oasis, or just a 5-minute pit stop, but chill time is the best time against the ravenous beast of jet lag looking to eat up those early morning dance floor hours before you can even Instagram #afties. You don’t need to be on the move all day long, jumping from artist to artist. Most festivals have a lounge and/or amazing shade structures to rest those weary legs. Take advantage and lay down, stretch out, and catch a 15-minute nap every couple hours – this isn’t your first festival, that #FOMO and #YOLO shit don’t play here 🙂

Eventually you’re going to need to get up and move around, so find something to get your mind and body engaged. Festival grounds providing some leafy green goodness (not weed)?

Practice your balance and slacklining skills!

Pop off those shoes, grab a friends hand, and hop on the bouncy rope of death 😉 Kidding, it’s actually a blast, and with a deep, progressive bass line booming in the background you have no reason not to find your groove.

Not too great at the whole balance thing?
(Good, that’s why practice. Now get back to the slackline.)

Walk the festival grounds and check out all the beautiful art. Most good events have realized that music, beer, and food aren’t the only things in a festival goers Hierarchy of Needs. Keep your mind active and your eyes wide open with the visual creativity abundant at great festivals like Woogie Weekend.

See something interesting? Go explore it.
Let your inner kid out.

In this case, a 50 ft. water slide should do the trick – complete with 60’s era lifeguards, inflatable donuts, and tiny-big pink toy cars. Woogie Weekend draws on it’s unique personality and perfect summer nostalgia-themed activities to coax out that Power Rangers lunch box toting 7 year old. If you find yourself on the sidelines here, keep an open eye – water balloon fights have been known to escalate quickly and out of nowhere.

Dance!

You’re at a music festival, yo. Go find some music and shake out those legs; after all, you just spent 14 hours sitting on an airplane.

[go_portfolio id=”woogie_weekend_2016_1″]

Go climbing.

(Disclaimer: We are not responsible for any injury as a result of climbing stuff.) But seriously, grab that inner child of yours off the water slide and find something to climb. Woogie’s fest grounds provide a small, yet challenging climbing wall – just enough to wet your whistle and burn out the forearms for the rest of the weekend. Don’t have a climbing wall? Find a tree, a rope, a pyramid of people missing it’s apex, whatever. The point is if you’re climbing, you’re not sleeping.

Now that you’ve climbed your tree, Enjoy the sunset.

Some of the most memorable sunsets I’ve ever seen have been during festivals. Here’s where you can refer to the first point and enjoy your previously marked chill spot, perhaps high in a tree or down low in a hammock. Cozy up to your friends and lovers, catch some R&R and don’t forget to let out a howl as the sun says it’s final goodbye.

Finally,
Play!

Enjoy all the beautiful lights! Go talk to people, swap adventure stories, and plan your next big trip around the globe. Bring your inner child along and let their imagination run wild, defending your adult self against the onslaught of jet lag. Be curious. Explore the nooks of early morning and breathe in the familiar sights of home – after all, it’s good to be back.

The key to beating jet lag at a music festival (or life, in general) is this: Have fun! It doesn’t take much for your brain to tell your body it’s not tired. Take advantage of the leftover serotonin, epinephrine, and adrenaline from your travels – use what your body creates naturally to get you back on home time.

[go_portfolio id=”woogie_weekend_2016_2″]

101

Add to the story...