seriously

[Rangerrobin]

There's NO PLACE like HOME! There's NO PLACE like HOME! There's NO PLACE like HOME!

[lostnomore]

rrobin...
I agree... Let's continue the mantra...
There's NO PLACE like HOME! There's NO PLACE like HOME! There's NO PLACE like HOME!

[UtiliFemme]

EXACTLY. And RR, it'll be very good to see you on the land this year. :)

[jellylady]

fest/land is the 1 place i can be me.
i can see myself in the faces of others,
i can see my lusts in the womyn around me
i can see my bad traits and work on improving them
i can fall in love with my strengths and weakness's and embrace them both
i can talk to anyone about anything
i can laugh till i cry at front gate
i can cry till i laugh on a trolley
i can sit in awe at any stage and drink in the womyn energy.
i can walk with strangers and find life time friends.
i can be empowered as much as i need on any specific part of my life
i can treasure the butch strut, giving out as many kisses as i can
i can proudly walk in the femme parade, giving out as many kisses as i can

I CAN BE ME.
when i say last years fest completely changed my life i do not say that lightly. I'm still out loud & proud, that will never change. but today, i like me, i can take care of me, i can stand up for myself and i can move away from people who are bad for me. i no longer allow toxic people to determine MY happiness within.

i am a Fierce Fiesty Femme in all my glory and i will not be afraid to show that ever again.
The Princess Jelly

[MlouB]

I always get a happier and healthier self-body-image from seeing so many different physiques in all their glory. As an artist, particularly, I love it.
- M'lou

[scout]

preach on jellylady.

[Dova_mamabear]

Healing, love, safe touching in the form of many many hugs and something to keep me living another year.

Dova

[laurels]

This is one of those questions like "Who are you?" It seems vast to be answered in a forum post. :)

But you know, the biggest thing I got was being unspeakably impressed. It sounds odd because so many people say their most memorable feelings were more about safety and comfort and space to be oneself. But I am lucky enough to pretty much feel like I have those things in my everyday life/being.

What I don't have at all in my everyday life (in a male-dominated field) is simply being able to look at something like fest and say FEMALES MADE THIS -- we made 100% of this, and look what it is.

[ohsnap]

I finally "got" what it is to be a womon. I really got it, it hit me hard and strong and keeps on hitting me in aftershocks and waves of insight and depth. I finally started to grow as a womon.

[wolf3am]

Scorpiobaby, you made me laugh out loud! My first fest I was not prepared for the feelings that flooded over me! My partner thought I would hate it, but it opened up so many things to me, and I have 2 friends from Michfest that have been friends for 10 years! We aren't able to make it every year, for various reasons, and we're both almost in tears when we can't. We're coming this year! I love seeing familiar faces, I see the same womyn year after year, it truly is "coming home".

[TJ]

what a great thread!
Inyourdreams - i just read your letter aloud to my wife. fantastic letter
She'll be coming for the first time this year and i'll be coming for my 3rd visit but first with her. Your letter said about everything for me - summed it up. i'm sure she will love it as much as everyone on here, which will mean many more years to come.

very much looking forward to the land and a chance to breathe, recharge, to 'do' or 'not do' as we decide by the minute, freedom

[wolf3am]

An ear-to-ear grin from the time I get to Budget Host until the last dyke I see driving down the highway heading home! Lee

[in your dreams]

Hey, TJ - I just saw your response to my letter (better late than never...) Did you two go this year? Wasn't it one of the best fests EVER? I can't imagine how next year will top it, but you know those gals in Walhalla will come up with something awesome. I still have holes in my concert blanket from sparks from the fireworks over the Night Stage at the 30th anniversary!

Hope to see you all next year, especially TJ and wife. Fest 4 Ever!

[Dottie]

I get freedom
I get space
I get acceptance
I get love
I get 'woo'
I get perspective
I get to really breath (till Michigan lung sets in)
I get healing

And I get to hug Kubby!

Bruno xxx

[Womyn2me]

Perhaps this thread is a reminder for me, as I am thinking of not going this year.

My first fest was meant as a joke. My best friend and I were off work for that time period and I believe the topic came up as in "you know what we should do? we should go to that lesbo thing in the woods Margaret is always talking about. we would be like the secret normal people. HAHAHAHAHAH"

So we decided to go, because it would be funny, not being one of these seperatist, wojjiwojjy, burkenstock lesbians.

Joke was on us. I was hooked by Wednesday Opening Ceremony and LBoy took until about Friday night.

What hooked me: the ability to walk at night without being hypervigilant. that one is the reason that always comes up, because until you feel it, you have no idea what it means. I had no real idea of what walking round in the regular world means with regard to my surroundings until I could truely relax to a level where all I care about is making sure I dont trip on a root on a path.

What hooked me: women. women everywhere. women of all different shapes and sizes and skin types and colours and women with one breast and a scar and women with the sunburns of freedom (haha).

Women. I never really knew what it meant to need women in my life, or rather to be able to acknowledge that need and find it affirmed.

Women. and sex. and sexuality. women holding hands. women fucking in a tent near me or as I safely transverse those paths. women in my tent. the absolute beauty and glory and erotic potential in every woman. not that I have had sex with everyone or even had sex at every fest. but discovering that in every single woman I have met, I can see something lovely and attractive in her, on her, with her, around her. I'd be a liar if I didnt say that being in the midst of such hotness isnt a reason for me to be there.

What hooked me: family. I have a family that I didnt have before fest. When I think of my family, nearly every one of those women in it I met at fest, and many of the ones I met elsewhere I finally dragged there (hi BarbQuilts)

What hooked me: time management -- women who are my sister-friends and who I may see only one time a year that makes it seem like last fest was just yesterday. when I sit down at the community center and Zelda brushes my hair for my birthday, its like the 365 days inbetween (or sometimes more) never really happened. its like she brushes my hair everyday. In many ways, I feel I never leave fest, that like Brigadoon, Fest goes on behind the mists and once a year She wakes up and I join Her like it was just an overnight.

by the end of Fest, I am ready to go back out in the world, mostly because I want to use a Qtip and blow my nose without it being so dirty and I want a shower to take 10 mins instead of it being a 90 min session of planning, execution and post-event wrapup. But I take fest home with me, I feel better about life and myself and my future and I just wait for the overnight to happen again so I can go back.

there. weird. I think I want to go now. that helped alot.