Top 9 memories at LJT

I am filled with severe anticipation, nostalgic of the past 8 years of greatness and fueled with rhythmic desire, as the hourly countdown begins until the the most wonderful time of the year.

I know what you're thinking ... "Wow, Nat. You're only 23 years old and this will be your ninth consecutive year to attend this glorious week." Meaning, I've been going to Larry Joe Taylor Music Festival since I was a teenager. THAT'S right. I was 15 years of age at my first LJT! Imagine the kind of shit I pulled these past eight years.

Let's take a trip down memory lane. No worries, I called the Free Ride Van for a sober driver. Here are my top nine favorite memories of the past eight years at Larry Joe Taylor:

Memory No. 9: No, my parents weren't cool with me going out to LJT as a 15 year old. I did the same thing you would have done to get out there. I lied. My girlfriends and I did the whole I'll tell my mom I'm staying with Caity, Andi tell your mom you're staying with Rachel, Caity tell your mom you're staying with me and we will take my car out there together. That shit never works out as planned. The four of us 15-year-old girls are woken up to a livid voicemail from Caity's mom. And Caity's mom has called my mom and dad.


It's 6:30 a.m. We wind through the hungover maze of tents and campers, over the drunk river, and across the sea of beer cans to our getaway car. Caity and I make it back to my parents house ... waiting our inevitable fate. Grounded! For life. To be 15.


Memory No. 8: My high school boyfriend and Paige's high school boyfriend bought an old rundown big yellow school bus that they painted blue and named the "Cool Bus." Located way back in the heart of the primitive campsites, the Cool Bus had the seats taken out and was converted into a makeshift camper. It had two bedrooms at the back and two couches in the front. It was the coolest bus I've ever been on.



Memory No. 7:The guy that no one knew that passed out in our friends camper. We were all relaxing and winding down in the early morning when we realized that there was a guy asleep on the couch that no one could identify. We woke him up to question him. He was disoriented, confused and couldn't name any one he knew that was staying at the camper. After about 15 minutes of questioning and kicking him out the door, he finally remembers that he knows our friends brother. He belonged the whole time, that poor drunk guy. I wonder where he would have wondered off to.

Memory No. 6: My last LJT as a college girl, I put in my two weeks, two weeks before Larry Joe Taylor so I could enjoy my last weeks of school as an unemployed college girl before heading to real world train station. Dana was such a wonderful and understanding boss. I love her!

Memory No. 5: The year of 2009 I took a brief nap in my car after quite a bit of day drinking (just an average Larry Joe day). I woke up feeling like a brand new woman, ready to take on the rest of the day's lineup. I checked my phone only to find 50 frantic text messages and phone call from my parents. I call my dad back and he orders me to head home. At this very moment I am stepping out of my car to see, behind squinted eyes, not too many people around and a sudden darkness overcoming the area. Dad: "Get home now! There are tornadoes." I look up to the sky and there are low, dark clouds in every single direction. The only tornado survival skills I know, I learned on the movie "Twister." And they chase tornadoes. It was definitely too late to make it home before anything hit, but a chance I took to make it to shelter. The weather was exactly like "The Day After Tomorrow" and I drove 10 miles home in it. I couldn't see anything the whole drive home. A tornado probably lifted up my car and it placed safely on my parents driveway.

Memory No. 4: Josh Abbott singing "We Are Young" in 2012. It's pretty fuzzy for a lot of us because that was very late in the evening. Michelle swore it was Johnny Cooper or Pat Green that sang it. WRONG. Not that I remembered it. Here's a refresher.

Memory No. 3: Peace Walk 2011. It started with three ... Michelle, me, Clay and the sweet sweet sounds of his guitar. Beer, walking shoes and a smooth tune. This evolved into an all out peace walk. We must have had 30 random people just following us. Just walking through campsites for miles. We carbed up with those corndogs before.

Memory No. 2: Having the most memorable slumber party in Miller's pop-up camper. Giving black eyes with my stellar jump squats.



Memory No. 1: The bittersweet memory of my last LJT as a college girl. I cried every night with my best friend and roommate at the time. We cried to "Who I Am" by Wade Bowen every time it played. I love you Michelle! Thank you for making that such a special time for me.


BONUS Memory: The Dong-Bong Radio Show, brought to you by KRTL, the made up radio show with five in-your-face drunk girls interviewing you on ALL THINGS LJT. Yes, our microphone is at the end of this beer bong. Yes, you have to bong a beer after your interview! Who's ready this year?!