1.  I took a couple of Fridays off but this is it, this is the week we get back to 40 things.

2.  I’m leaning into the whole “speak it into being” concept.

3.  It’s pretty late on Thursday, though…

4.  Fingers crossed.

5.  Several months ago I said yes to a brand new experience.

6.  Listen, I talk a good game about being open to new things, welcoming the chance to grow, that sort of thing.

7.  The truth is I’m a huge homebody. HUGE.

8.  If there was a picture in the dictionary next to homebody…well, it would look an awful lot like me.

9.  Me plus a cat or two sitting comfortably in an armchair.

10.  Just saying.

11.  But a few months ago BrightSide’s sister and her husband asked if we’d like to go to a three day music festival.

12.  There was a beat (or four) where I thought ummm I dunno…

13.  But we have a lot of fun with them and the list of bands was amazing.

14.  In the end I said yes with just a bit of nerves jangling in the background.

15.  Well, this is where I eat alllll my words because that festival was incredible.

16.  So far out of my wheelhouse it might as well have been space travel but still, amazing.

17.  Can we talk about some of the bands?

18.  My best count landed at forty-one bands spread out across three stages over three days.

19.  Full disclosure: I did not see forty-one bands perform. I don’t have that kind of stamina.

20.  Remember when you hashed out class schedules so you could fit your favorite electives in with your required studies?

21.  It was a bit like that but with a wide range of music.

22.  So it was three days of performances spaced out noon to 11pm each day.

23.  Friday brought several shows I loved.

24.  Nelly was an unexpected win for me — I’d never considered seeing him in concert and he put on a great show.

25.  Spin Doctors were good as were The Black Crowes, but Friday’s headliner nailed it.

26.  Green Day performed last on Friday and that concert was out of this world. 10/10, no notes.

27.  Saturday brought the rain all day long and into the night.

28.  Seriously, it was SO. MUCH. RAIN.

29.  Epic ark-level hydration falling from the sky.

30.  Anyhoo, Saturday brought acts by Franz Ferdinand, Collective Soul, and Good Charlotte.

31.  I was a punk and didn’t slosh to another stage to see Vampire Weekend but they said that was a terrific show.

32.  Noah Kahan closed out the night.

33.  I hadn’t heard of him before going but enjoyed his performance, too.

34.  On Sunday we caught Blind Melon, Devo, and O.A.R.

35.  Then 6:45pm-11pm were three big ones in a row — Weezer, Train, and Fall Out Boy.

36.  There was a lot of talent out there and a whole lot of people who came to appreciate it.

37.  Counts came in at 162,000+ attendees over three days. Sooo much humanity.

38.  Because we are who we are on Monday morning we dropped by Assateague Island National Seashore to see the wild horses.

39.  We walked lovely walkways through the wetlands and also saw crabs, blue herons, seagulls, and fish.

40.  From banger bands to fireworks to wild horses on the island, it was a weekend to remember.