As a young traveler, I researched, scheduled, and planned my days to the last minute. Before I boarded my plane, I knew every activity I would participate in, every restaurant I would eat at and every bar I would imbibe in. Sometime around the beginning of my 30s, this changed.
Now, I’m the anti-scheduler. My life was so busy at home that I didn’t have the time to research and plan and then, I discovered how much more rewarding an experience can be when you leave yourself open to possibilities and approach new places and trips with a curious mind. One day at Wanderlust, I did just that: no scheduled classes, no plans for the day, and I stumbled upon some amazing ways to while away the afternoon:
Hang out in The Uncommons.
The Uncommons is a place for people with unusual talents to gather and be creative. From hooping to AcroYoga to slacklining, this place offers plenty of visual stimulation. I found it as a nice retreat from the hubbub of the vendor village and an excellent location to stretch out on my yoga mat, take in the atmosphere, read my book a bit and relax with entertainment aplenty.
Seek out pop-up music performances.
There are musicians and artists all over Wanderlust and you run into them at every corner. From drummers in the vendor village to a group of relaxed Wanderlust participants’ sessioning from a hammock on the patio, there is plenty of unscheduled music to partake in if you keep your ears open.
Relax at the pool.
Of all the festivals, Wanderlust Squaw has one of the best ways to cool off! The Pool at High Camp offers unparalleled views of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, abundant sunshine and jamming beats all day long.
Let a stranger drag you to a class.
when the rain fell and I found myself at a loss for what to do, I stumbled upon a Bollywood Dance class. Within minutes I was being instructed to break out my “sensual melodramatic self” and shake my hips to the Indian beat. I wouldn’t have ever found myself here if I hadn’t been open to making new friends and willing to explore something that excites them.
Watch a lunchtime performance.
After you grab a lunch from one of the on-site restaurants, food co-op, or vendor food trucks, settle down under the tent at Rue Boheme, where you are provided a nice respite from the daytime heat and a captivating dance performance by Quixotic.
At your next Wanderlust, while you’re scheduling your weekend and classes, schedule yourself in plenty of unstructured time, or at least one full afternoon of it. Give yourself the freedom to explore the sites and sounds you might miss while rushing from class to class and the downtime you need to rejuvenate and reflect on what you’ve learned while in class. Even if you don’t find yourself in the same places I did, get in the lake, go on a meditative walk or simply sit in the tea house and enjoy some time to yourself: open your senses and possibilities and find your own unexpected afternoon at Wanderlust.
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Lauren Lindley is a Tahoe-based traveling photographer. She is an adventurer and athlete claiming the following to her sports resume: runner, swimmer, cyclist, snowboarder, and sometimes climber. Lauren is a music lover, prolific reader of literature, and the only bottle of wine she doesn’t like has the word Merlot on it. Lauren is also a firm believer that guacamole is an all the time food and when she’s not doing athletics, you’ll probably find her on the dance floor.