Society, BRB! — Echo Beach 2024
When our friends invited us to this private doof that was taking place from 25 April — 29th of April in the outskirts of the town, we really didn’t know what to expect. We hired a fully equipped campervan and got ready for a weekend that was yet to leave its indelible mark on us.
On the face of it, any event with “doof” in it, reminds you of a crowd of unhinged young people dancing to repetitive sounds they call music, however, the truth of all doofs is a subjective one, for this one, it couldn’t be farther away from the societal interpretation of doofs.
With our camper, a few steaks packed away in the fridge, good music for the road and an open heart, we were ready to welcome the experience of this doof called Echo Beach. The property was tucked away in a setting that takes your breath away from the moment you start driving downhill on the awfully long dusty road.
Picture a serene valley cradled by hills with a stream that gently flows through the feet of the hills, with a sandy shore that’s also the dancefloor. Strangely, the setting felt both intimate and expansive.
We parked our camper in one corner of the hill that overlooked the stream & were ready to roll!
I met the most inspiring, free, passionate, beautiful individuals and explored the depths of the ones I knew, and they each gave me something I will hold on to.
“Life is good — No Complaints” — Our Echo Neighbours
We parked our camper next to a couple in their late 30s with a camper that was straight out of “Pimp my Ride”. We got to know each other almost effortlessly. We would catch ourselves always stopping by their van for a little talk session before hitting the dancefloor. The second day, we were laying out our table & kitchen equipment to cook breakfast. We looked over to their spot and saw Grey just chilling in the van. We looked at him, and he shouted with the biggest smile on his face,
“Life is good. No Complaints motherfuckers. Life is Good.”
“I have some really dark shit in my head” — Caitlin
You meet some people in your life that have never really known living on the surface or have hiked so far away from it that the depths they now traverse make the surface non-existent. Caitlin was one of them. Talking to her one night, in describing a deep experience, she says, “I really have some dark shit in my head.” I made a joke in an attempt to relate. This moment for me was special because it was so human. So raw. Darkness became mundane in that moment. Not something you ran away from but made a joke about.
“My parents tell me to settle down — What does settling down even mean?” — Jake
Jake and I started sharing stories from our childhood & while he grew up in a small town in the United States and I grew up in a big city in India, we had so much we could relate to each other on. One of them being the question of settlement that forever haunts most parents. He was describing to me his present state where he valued diverse experiences in life, dared to travel to explore beyond what he knew & cultivate meaningful friendships however, this didn’t meet the idea his parents had of “settling down”. Settling down usually means demarcating a land on earth and saying “This is mine now. I’ll live here. I’ll also reproduce here. I’m settled.” I could relate because this is exactly how my parents and many Indian parents view the idea of settlement. To embrace the known and become an expert at knowing the known. I wonder if there would be a bridge between the generation that considers settlement as counterproductive to their growth vs a generation that considers settlement as the foundation of all else.
“I can’t believe my mother is here. I’m so happy.” — Riley
As I was making my way to the toilets from an intense cardio session on the dancefloor, I bumped into Riley. We both stood in a hug for a while, expressing gratitude for all that surrounded us that night. He was so genuinely grateful for the people and the experience, he went on to say to me,
“I still can’t believe my mother is here. With my girlfriend. I’m so happy.”
It came as a surprise to me when I first found out Riley’s mom was coming to the doof with him. A doof is where most of us shed off the skins we put on for the world, and to meet your parent in this spot is a big moment. Riley and his mum were an absolute hoot too so here’s wishing more of us can let go of the traditional paradigms of what it means to be a “parent” and just embrace the finite moments we get with our loved ones in whatever they might be.
“You just have to be true to yourself and what you care about. The right people and right opportunities will magically (or rightfully!) appear.” — Koia
Koia stood at the doorway of our camper, as she began to share her experiences that have come to shape her life. She spoke with curiosity of a child and wisdom of a monk. As she began to align herself with what she believed was right for her and say NO to everything that didn’t fit the bill, opportunities & people that saw her for who she was began to materialize. Listening to her journey & principles she had formed to guide her through it really had an impact on both Abhay and myself. I, for one, felt like a scientist whose hypothesis was successful. In navigating the world of feelings, you embody a subjective truth that can’t be logically proven in the material world nor objectively accepted as the truth of all. Here, you have nothing but the navigation of your intuition. When you come across another traveler who’s navigating a completely different landscape than yours but has found the same treasure, it’s like getting a MASSIVE clue from the Universe. That’s how I saw my conversation with her!
“I always want to be a man of my word.” — Abhay
Abhay has always been someone who’s never compromised on his character, regardless of whether it’s behind the doors. There were times in the past that I remember when he was working through the night and was exhausted beyond measure, however, had given his word to show up for an event for a friend who wasn’t very close. When I told him to prioritize his health and simply rest, he said to me, “When I’ve given my word, I can’t break it.”
I never got why he couldn’t take a chill pill when his present self was so exhausted. This night, it hit different. I’ve come to not only appreciate but also embody it as my own goal to strive towards a strong character, whatever that might mean. I’ve had a cumulative set of experiences & met people that have really inspired me towards growing in a way that’s always polishing my character. In all honesty, what else is there to strive for really? So when Abhay made a promise to our neighbors that he would make steak for them for dinner, he had no idea what the day was going to bring. Despite the challenges of the day & night, he made sure he cooked the steak. Not just that, he fed our neighbors the steak on the dancefloor to which Grey replied,
“You mad cunt. You are a man of your word” and that stayed with Abhay because steak or not, he always strived to be a man of his word.
These memories don’t do justice in summing up all the beauty & depth I was surrounded with. All the people I spent time with had one thing in common: they are all living on the fringes of the society. They all believed in charting their own course in life, questioning the norms & traditions with sincerity, living in the present & embracing each experience as fully as possible, respecting a diversity of beliefs/opinions/values to harmoniously live & connect with each other & designing the blueprint of what success meant for them (rather than taking what’s handed down).
Thank you to all the people who were a part of this experience for me — until next time, Echo :)
