Cruising into the Texaco station before Vantage Bridge near Quincy, WA, the parking lot is full of 18-20 somethings rallying around parked cars blaring music, filled to the brim with glow sticks, body paint, libations, costumes, and tents. Laughter and whoops of excitement bounce of the hot asphalt. It’s the day before the Paradiso 2013 Music Festival at the Gorge Amphitheater and the line is forming along the 21 minute ride to the awe-inspiring view of the Columbia River Gorge.
Thousands of kids from around the nation, and even abroad, have made the journey to the Gorge for different purposes, but the motive is the same: the experience of dance music in the natural beauty of the venue surrounded by friends. 
For me, after 16 years of school, a celebration was in order. Enter four great friends, a new friend from Australia, an incredible line-up, a hoola hoop, and “goon bags.” It was the recipe for one of the best weekends of my 22 years.
Over the next few days we would rise with the sun, and dance past it’s dip below the horizon. Each day was a blissful myriad of some of the most amazing sets I’ve seen courtesy of Porter Robinson, Zedds Dead, and Adventure Club under the shining sun. The highlight of the weekend musically was during the Gramatik + GRiZ as the sun was setting, a light mist was falling on the warm pulsing crowd, and deep funk guitar floated above electric melodies while we grooved right along, smiles spread wide across our faces.
In combination with these diverse and danceable beats, bonds were formed with new friends and deepened with the old and kisses were shared under the sunrise.
As we left on the final day, stuck in traffic jams , our skin pink from the blazing sun, and exhausted from so much dancing and so little sleep, we couldn’t help but grin. The remnants of body paint would fade and we would soon go our separate ways, but the experience of the weekend continued through our memories, friendships, and the power of living each moment to the fullest for 3 days straight.
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