It was the morning of June 20, 2013. I woke up at 7:00 a.m, hopped in a car with 10 other people, and headed to Las Vegas. From the moment we left, the experience began. We had our music blasting and cameras snapping while honking at other cars that were on their way to the Electric Daisy Carnival, known as the EDC. We didn’t have a care in the world, no bills to pay or homework to do, just one weekend with close friends and great music.

When we pulled up to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Day 1, I had no idea what to expect. Everything was so surreal to me and for some reason I was nervous, but something about experiencing this with my brother and sister and close friends made me feel at home. For those who do not know, the Electric Daisy Carnival is a three day EDM music festival that takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The event is hosted by Insomniac, which was founded in 1993 by Pasquale Rotella. The first Electric Daisy Carnival, or EDC for short, was held inside of a warehouse. Over time, the event went from 65,000 attendees in 2008 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to 700,000 in 2014 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

As we walked through the gates of the main entrance, all we could do was stand there speechless. Seeing the size of the entire festival made me feel so small. All the stages, the rides, the lights, were so overwhelming. I couldn’t wait to see what the next few days had in store for me.

It was a weekend filled with happiness and love. As typical as it sounds, everyone attending was there for the same reason. The music. The ambience. The people.

I would have never guessed that my life would change in just one short weekend in Las Vegas, but I guess that’s why they are called life changing moments.