If you’re anything like me, you absolutely love to dance. Without any formal training (other than learning the waltz in high school theatre class), I simply let go of my inhibitions and let the music inspire my body to move. People often think I look ridiculous (fuck those people) but also they probably aren’t wrong.

As long as you’re having fun, it truly doesn’t matter how the funk makes you groove. But sometimes you see someone out there that truly has rhythm and you think, “now that guy looks good.”

With all this downtime, become that guy! Go on youtube and watch tutorials of how to do basic dance steps. You’d be amazed how easily you’ll go from “Wow look at that guy!” to “WOW LOOK AT THAT GUY!!” Notice the difference? Of course, you do. Now string together some combinations and next time when the circle starts up, you’ll be the first one to dive in and show those rookies how it’s done.

5. Research the Artists

We all know this is temporary. Eventually, we will be traveling the exosphere together in perfect unity. So now that you know you have months before your next festival, listen to every goddamn artist on the lineup.

Get the most out of your Spotify or Apple Music subscription and dig deep into a plethora of new music.

You know the tiny print on the bottom of a lineup that looks like a vision test? Those people earned the right to be there. At one point, that was Radiohead. How cool does it feel to say you saw someone before they blew up?

If a lineup is already out, more than likely someone already made a playlist for it. Find those or make your own! My friends and I have one group thread for whatever, and another one solely dedicated to new music discoveries. With 40 of us contributing, there’s never a lack of diversity. I highly encourage this to keep you feeling fresh and excited.

6. Strategize Your Camping Setup

Tired of your boring old cookie-cutter tent with the singular lightbulb hanging down? Let’s spruce it up! No doubt you’ve walked through the campgrounds at a festival and seen some epic ideas that took your breath away. Often they aren’t very complicated.

Some simple fairy lights make an entry so much more inviting. A flag coming off the top will allow you to always spot your home base. Think about different tapestries to surround your pop-up.

At the burn, a few of my friends built a monkey hut out of a tarp and PVC pipes. They quickly realized it looked like a giant caterpillar so they added antennae to one end. Suddenly some crude materials became a 30 ft long bug.

If you’ve got the space, set it up in your apartment or backyard and treat yourself to a night of at-home camping. Play terrible music way too loud from a close distance so you can even yell at the imaginary bros who only came to get laid. It’s your experience. Own it!

7. Get Crafty