Notes from the Forest
A four-day journal of moments, music, little gifts, and the joy of wandering through Electric Forest.
Every year, around the longest day of summer, people gather in a world of pure imagination (yes, I'm still obsessed with that Zeds Dead Willy Wonka remix), known as Electric Forest. This was my second year entering the Forest, and unlike last time, I knew what I was getting into. I knew what to expect, what to look forward to, what to savor during those four days, and how to move through the festival with more intention.
This time, it didn’t just feel like a fleeting experience I had once. It felt like returning to a place I now know, one that feels like home and allows me to be exactly who I want to be in the purest way.
Throughout the weekend, I wrote notes. Some in the early morning light, some half-asleep in my tent, others while walking through the glowing trees of Sherwood.
They’re scattered, impulsive, a little messy. But maybe they’re the best way I know how to explain what the Forest feels like. Below are a few of those moments, with timestamps, photos, and everything in between.
Thursday, June 19, 3:26 PM
Can’t wait. The second you arrive, it hits you. Smiles everywhere. People shouting “Happy Forest” like a greeting. That instant, electric kind of joy.
Thursday, June 19, 4:45 PM
Of course the first thing I did as soon as we arrived was to get the official Forest merch.
Thursday, June 19, 6:50 PM
I think I just experienced a real wedding in the middle of the Forest?
Friday, June 20, 6:52 PM
Sitting at the end of the Forest. Or maybe it’s the beginning. I’ve been wandering all day, disappearing behind laughter, trinkets, good house music, bursts of dubstep wubz, strange little creatures, and the kind of energy that makes you forget what day it is.
Earlier, I stumbled into a tiny library tucked between trees and started flipping through its mix of titles. There was one of those corded Forest phones nearby, so I picked it up and started talking to a stranger on the other end. We chatted about the day, about the magic of it all. Then I noticed a small rock beside me that said, “you are enough.”
I had brought tiny wooden bees and ladybugs with me (little souvenirs that stick to anything) just to give away or leave behind. I pressed a bee onto the rock and told the voice on the phone it was theirs now. That it was waiting there just for them, a perfect gift for a stranger I didn’t know but somehow already believed in.
Friday, June 20, 7:30 PM
We were deep inside The Emporium, a big warehouse with one long hallway and dozens of mysterious doors on both sides, each one leading to its own little universe. At some point, my friend A, lost a shoe in one of the rooms (which should give you an idea of how much fun we were having).
Since no one wanted A wandering around the Forest at night with one shoe, my boyfriend and I offered to walk him back to camp to grab another pair. Naturally, we got sidetracked by every glowing, spinning, curiosity-filled corner along the way.
When we passed by the Giving Tree, a spot where people leave something and take something in return, we decided to gift A’s remaining shoe to the Forest. And somehow, waiting for us there, was a brand new pair of socks. His size, no less. That’s what we call “the Forest provides.”
Here’s a photo of me the exact moment I found them, captured by the official Forest photographers. It even made it to the festival’s Instagram. The caption? “So much more than give one, take one.” Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Saturday, June 21, 3:15 PM
Still at camp. Today got off to a rough start. Our tent broke from the heavy winds, and we had to take it down. The good news was we had a second tent, but it was way smaller, which meant our things wouldn’t all fit inside, so we started doing back-and-forth car walks to grab what we needed.
At first, I was so frustrated. I had my little system all set up, every bag organized just right so we could get ready fast and head to the Forest. But later, I caught myself. How lucky were we to have a second tent lying around?
This is the kind of place that asks you to let go, so I did.
Saturday, June 21, 10:20 PM
We were a little undecided about going to the Tiësto set. Over the years, he’s become more mainstream, which made us hesitate about whether it was worth the crowd. But then I started wondering, what does mainstream even mean? Doesn’t it just mean a lot of people love it because it’s actually that good?
So we went. And to our surprise, most of what he played were his older tracks, the ones that leaned more alternative. Even the more well-known songs felt like a warm throwback, the kind that fills you up with nostalgia in the best way.
At one point, I looked up and thought about my childhood friends, the ones I used to listen to this music alongside. And then I looked around me, at the friends I’ve made through these two years in the Forest, and realized how lucky I was to have both.
Saturday, June 21, 11:25 PM
Of course someone was bound to lose their phone (in this case, our friend S). You have to understand, when a big name takes the stage, thousands of people gather. If you drop your phone, chances are it’s gone for good.
S was already losing hope, but I decided to check one more time around the spot we’d been before pushing up to the front. The truth is, the real reason we circled back was because I thought I had seen one of my boyfriend’s trinkets lying on the ground. When I looked over and noticed he wasn’t wearing it, I told him we should go back to grab it, and to look for the phone one last time while we were at it.
So we did. We didn’t find the trinket. But as soon as we stopped looking, there it was, the phone, sitting right at our feet like someone had quietly placed it there. Everyone around us started cheering. When we called it to make sure it was really his and it actually rang, it felt like a tiny miracle.
You should’ve seen S’s face when we handed it back. And honestly, shoutout to him for helping us set up the backup tent earlier and keeping me calm. That’s what good karma looks like.
Sunday, June 22, 1:10 AM
Not even sure who was playing at this moment. I laid my blanket on the grass, looked up, and let the stars move to the beat. There was so much love in the sky that night. I found myself thinking about how magical this place really is, and how special it must be to bring together such incredible people.
Sunday, June 22, 5:03 AM
Just returning from the silent disco. Tonight, or maybe this morning, I saw one of my favorite dubstep duos. Zeds Dead was absolutely unreal. I cried, I laughed, I felt everything, all at once. It’s the music, but it’s also the way everyone is feeling it together, and the energy those two pull into one set.
At this point, I already knew I’d be playing that Pure Imagination remix on repeat when I got home. I recognized it as a memory moment, one that would instantly take me back here. Still just… wow.
Sunday, June 22, 12:40 PM
Smoothie in hand, I had just finished one of the most magical yoga classes I’d ever been part of. Right in the forest, barefoot on the grass, surrounded by people full of light. Breathing it all in for one last day.
Sunday, June 22, 6:30 PM
Grateful doesn’t even begin to cover how I felt about the real restrooms in the Forest. Still box-like, but with actual flushable toilets. A small luxury, deeply appreciated. And an unexpected upgrade from last year’s experience.
Monday, June 22, 12:30 AM
Midway through Fisher’s set, I felt the wave of it all catch up to me. Four days of movement, light, music, and emotion. I needed a minute, so I stepped away and sat on the small hill near the stages. Even though I love this place deeply, four nonstop days can still be a lot.
Then, someone walked by and snapped one of those slap bracelets onto my wrist. It read seize the moment. So I did. I stayed where I was, took in Fisher’s set from a distance, and let the music fill the space I had just made for myself.
When I came back, recharged, I looked around and swear I could see the energy in the crowd. It was wild. A real moment.
Sunday, June 22, 4:10 AM
Of The Trees closed the weekend for me, and it felt like the perfect goodbye. Slower bass lines, deep rhythm, something that held you and let you go gently. A beautiful way to end four unforgettable days in the Forest.
Hoping these notes help you understand a little more of the magic that lives in this place. It’s not just the stages, or the lights, or the winding paths through the trees. It’s the energy that pulses through every corner. The small, unexpected kindnesses. The shared joy carried on every beat. It’s the community that shows up with intention, ready to make someone’s day without ever saying a word.
It’s a moment in time, held in a place I now know I can always return to.
Until the next detour.
It looks amazing 🥹 on my bucket list for next year. Thank you for sharing!!!!
Lake Forest