Awesome People We Met at Electric Forest 2017

When you roam through Electric Forest, you’re bound to find beauty everywhere: amazing music, gorgeous art, and of course, awesome people. Yes, while there are endless things to do and see and taste all across the festival, make sure to take a few minutes to meet your fellow festival friends and expand your Forest Family.

We made so many friends in our adventure together. Here are some of the Awesome People we met on weekend one of Electric Forest 2017.

Name: Abigail
Age: 26
Hometown: Tennessee
Occupation: Raft guide
Years in the Forest: 3
If you were to get lost in the Forest forever, what is the one thing you’d bring and why? I would bring my husband.
What’s been your favorite Forest memory so far? Sitting in the Reincarnation Village—that’s super awesome.
What’s been the biggest life lesson you’ve learned here so far? Love more and appreciate people more for who they are and how they act and everything about them.

Name: Jessica, Laurel, Charlotte
Age: 27 (Jessica), 24 (Laurel), 24 (Charlotte)
Hometown: San Diego, CA (Jessica); Oakland, CA (Laurel); San Francisco, CA (Charlotte)
Occupation:
Jessica: Waitress, but I’m going to school to become a teacher.
Laurel: Behavioral aid specialist in elementary school.
Charlotte: I work at Trader Joe’s, but I’m in school to become a teacher.
Years in the Forest: First time (all)
If you were to get lost in the Forest forever, what is the one thing you’d bring and why?
Jessica: The people I’m with, because they make me happy.
Laurel: My Forest Family and an onesie—it gets cold here at night.
Charlotte: I would bring food, to be completely honest.
What’s been your favorite Forest memory so far?
Jessica: Two Friends threw down yesterday, and they made me dance my ass off; that’s been my favorite so far.
Laurel: Definitely seeing Above & Beyond for the first time in the rain.
Charlotte: We just met the Yellow Society [performer troupe] over there; that was so cool!
What’s been the biggest life lesson you’ve learned here so far?
Jessica: Respect everyone around you.
Laurel: Respect everyone, and respect the place you’re in.
Charlotte: Love is all around us.

Name: Bri
Age: 26
Hometown: Los Angeles
Occupation: Dental assistant
Years in the Forest: First time!
If you were to get lost in the Forest forever, what is the one thing you’d bring and why? Other than water and food, it’d probably be marijuana.
What’s been your favorite Forest memory so far? I think it’s all the artwork and the beautiful scenery here.
What’s been the biggest life lesson you’ve learned here so far? Be really prepared and make sure to have water; stay hydrated and take care of yourself and others.

Name: Christopher, Alaina, Peter
Age: 21 (all)
Hometown: Toledo, OH (Christopher); Tawas, MI (Alaina); Townsend, MA (Peter)
Occupation: Students at the University of Michigan (all)
Years in the Forest: First time (Christopher); 2 (Alaina); 2 (Peter)
If you were to get lost in the Forest forever, what is the one thing you’d bring and why?
Christopher: I’d bring a hammock and good friends.
Alaina: I’d say glitter, because according to one of my friends, it’s the easiest way to make other friends.
Peter: As many friends as I could find, because they’re pretty much everything I have.
What’s been your favorite Forest memory so far?
Christopher: I was lying down during the entirety of the Jai Wolf set, and I didn’t realize how many people were there until I stood up at the very end during “Indian Summer.” I thought there were maybe a couple of hundred [people], but there were literally thousands of people. It was just mind-blowing seeing how many people were there, jamming out together.
Alaina: Getting lost in the forest. There are so many little things to do and see in there, it’s impossible to be bored.
Peter: I’m gonna reference the music: Chet Porter played his song “Over You” with “I Love Kanye” mixed together, and that was just really fucking cool.
What’s been the biggest life lesson you’ve learned here so far?
Christopher: There’s literally tens of thousands of people here whom I have never met and will probably never meet again, but they’re all beautiful people. I’ve got no obligation to talk to them or meet them or smile at them or help them or anything else. But I am, and I feel like I’m a better person for connecting myself to people who are from different walks of life, different parts of the world, different mentalities, different music tastes. And the fact that we can all unite as one, the fact that if we can be drawn together with something as simple as music, why not the rest of the world?
Alaina: That a little bit of extra individuality should always be encouraged. It’s always fun to come here and see people painted up with all their costumes and glitter and everything; I think that’s something you don’t see enough of normally.
Peter: No matter how much preparation you have for a situation, you’re not prepared, and you have to be able to think on your toes and to be able to adapt, because you know anything can happen all the time.

Name: Darienne
Age: 21
Hometown: Mount Pleasant, MI
Occupation: Cosmetologist
Years in the Forest: First time!
If you were to get lost in the Forest forever, what is the one thing you’d bring and why? Just my friends, because they’re my favorite people, and I don’t know what I’d do without them.
What’s been your favorite Forest memory so far? Just all the sets—I’ve never been up close and crazy, and everybody going nuts like that is awesome.
What’s been the biggest life lesson you’ve learned here so far? Just love everybody, self-love.

Name: Jenny
Age: 27
Hometown: Fargo, ND
Occupation: Stay-at-home mom
Years in the Forest: 2
If you were to get lost in the Forest forever, what is the one thing you’d bring and why? My husband, of course, and my baby.
What’s been your favorite Forest memory so far? Just getting lost in the forest, I would say. It’s just a magical place, being here and being around the people.
What’s been the biggest life lesson you’ve learned here so far? Accept yourself and be one with yourself and be open to everything.

Name: Jessica
Age: 22
Hometown: North Dakota
Occupation: Cosmetologist
Years in the Forest: First time!
If you were to get lost in the Forest forever, what is the one thing you’d bring and why? Water.
What’s been your favorite Forest memory so far? Probably hanging out with my friend Keenan.
What’s been the biggest life lesson you’ve learned here so far? If you get separated from your friends, you always find new ones.

Name: Michael
Age: ???
Hometown: Carson City, NV
Occupation: Warranty technician
Years in the Forest: First time!
If you were to get lost in the Forest forever, what is the one thing you’d bring and why? Water for survival.
What’s been your favorite Forest memory so far? The rain and the lights in the forest the first night.
What’s been the biggest life lesson you’ve learned here so far? Positive vibrations are around the entire world.

Name: Oracles of the Forest
Age: Timeless
Hometown: From the Forest
Occupation: Oracles, here to guide the Forestgoers through their journey.
Years in the Forest: Forever.
If you were to get lost in the Forest forever, what is the one thing you’d bring and why? Positive love and light—that’s all we need to guide us through the Forest.
What’s been your favorite Forest memory so far? Finally getting to connect with the people of the Forest.
What’s been the biggest life lesson you’ve learned here so far? Love is everything; it carries us through the bad times, the good times, the OK times.

Name: Timmy
Age: 25
Hometown: Enon, OH
Occupation: Editor for Your EDM
Years in the Forest: 4
If you were to get lost in the Forest forever, what is the one thing you’d bring and why? CamelBak, because you gotta stay hydrated, and a pen and paper to record your thoughts.
What’s been your favorite Forest memory so far? Today, hanging out with my friends and having a good time.
What’s been the biggest life lesson you’ve learned here so far? Just not to take yourself too seriously, and the universe will provide and guide you in the right direction.

Name: Tina
Age: 19
Hometown: Detroit, MI
Occupation: In school, but also a nail tech
Years in the Forest: 4
If you were to get lost in the Forest forever, what is the one thing you’d bring and why? Someone who makes me smile and laugh, because if I don’t smile and laugh, I don’t feel human.
What’s been your favorite Forest memory so far? Holding hands with all of them [points to festival friends] and walking through the forest.
What’s been the biggest life lesson you’ve learned here so far? Don’t judge until you talk to [someone].

GA and VIP passes are still available for weekend two of Electric Forest 2017. Check out the wristband and lodging packages for more info.

Electric Forest 2017 takes place June 22–25 (weekend one) and June 29–July 2 (weekend two) at Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, MI. For more information, visit the official website.

Electric Forest is produced by Madison House Presents and Insomniac.