“Holy Cow” were the exact words I uttered as i drove into the carpark at Brinsbury centre. I’d eventually found my way there after I realised the festival wasn’t in Cornwall and actually was in West Sussex so crashed at my mum and dads on the way down. I sat in the car and thought “right kell.. there is no going back now …shit!’

I got out of the car and met a lovely guy who offered to carry my tent to the field and I instantly felt more at ease he was lovely. We chatted as we walked down the muddy path and suddenly I heard a “you must be kelly” shouted out and it was Claire! Claire was someone who’s reached out after my scaredy cat post “i’m going alone” on the facebook page and we’d been chatting. Claire was lovely and bubbly and we all walked down the muddy path together.

Upon coming up to the field I saw a little tent and really happy smiling people greeted me and gave my a wrist band and water bottle. Again I though to myself well even if I scarper first thing tomorrow this tickets bought me a cool water bottle and cup 🙂

Walking over to the camping field we passed a big tipi, a coffee van (alleluiah) and a massive marque, a few smaller ones and a bloody massive sign. Claire seemed to know everyone and so I left her chatting and I made it down to the field where I thanked the lovely guy and started putting up my tent. (Incidentally if you are that awesome guy who put me at ease please know you made the first dreaded bit amazing, thank you)

‘Ok girl’ I though to myself ‘lets get this tent up’. Claire started setting up next door and guess what?…. here tent was bigger than mine (i like this gal a lot more)

Tent up and very proud of myself, I got excited! this was actually going to be ok. we celebrated with a drink!

The rest of that evening is a blur but i remember getting a brew, and forcing myself to say hi to people and those people actually said hi back . The opening to Yestival was cool, Dave (thats the guy who founded the Yestribe) set up the coming days and explained the plan. There was a big black board with all the times and people speaking on so I snapped myself a photo and looked forward to the evening.

After several beers for dutch courage, that night I spoke to loads of people, from a lawyer who works from home on the coast to Jayne who left her job and cycled her way round the Scottish Hebrides and met a guy called Ben. All lovely people. that night I watched more talks then headed to bed, convinced I’d be up for the meditation and yoga in the morning.

Needless to say that night the rain and wind were epic. Surprisingly my tent held up and no rain entered….Result! A bit bleary eyed I woke to some nutters doing full on exercise and just snuggled down and thought no not for me and even missed the yoga lol.

When the urge for the loo overcame me i left the tent and headed up for the porridge breakfast and braced myself for the day. I’d already decided on a few talks i was going to mainly being that they were the people i’d met the day before.

I’m not a writer so really can’t do justice to the talks I went to but some stick in my mind. Jayne talk was awesome i liked that it was down to earth and she spoke of that ‘fear’, and even had a PG monkey for companion on her epic cycle.

Amy baker was hilarious reading from her book. A highlight has to be the story where she saw a guy she pulled and accidentally pooed her pants after suffering from the dodgy stomach 🙂

There’s so many to mention, Bex who walked Israel and runs ‘love her wild’, Jo who climbed Everest and the Meek family who are committed to saving the world from plastic (hiding my face there as a packaging designer).

I had a short regroup in my tent and jotted down a few things in my book. I was going to do something…

That evening got better with talks from Emma with her parkinson’s adventure, a guy who’d been paralysed after a climbing accident and finally Kristina Palten who run across Iran. I must admit i was a little drained by the day and my mind was buzzing so i left the party and headed to bed.

The next day I felt a little drained with new ideas buzzing in my head and forcing myself to talk to people. Another morning of talks and meeting new people and Dave rounded off the festival by thanking everyone and with  a very poignant story of his water cycle adventure. I packed up my tent and as we walked in, Claire and I walked out together.

I ran to thank Dave and said bye to the Meek girls who were chatting with him.

Ideas buzzing in my head as i started to 6 hour drive back to bury.