Oct
19
The Art Festival that Wasn’t
A few days ago I wrote about Healing Through Creativity, an art festival that I had been looking forward to for quite some time. So me and my boyfriend made what ended up being a seven hour trip from our home in Vandling, Pennsylvania to our hotel room in Uniontown, Pennsylvania and then the hour trip from our hotel and into West Virginia for the art festival.
The trip from our house to the hotel was fine and the trip from the hotel to West Virginia University was fine, but once we got there, all went to hell, to say the least. Who knew that West Virginia University had not one, but two campuses? Not only that, but who knew that West Virginia University was approximately 200 miles long? I surely did not. Okay, now I may be exaggerating the 200 miles long thing because in all honesty, I wouldn’t know how many miles West Virginia University encompasses because I was too busy fearing for my life as we drove around the university looking for the building in which the festival was being held. Fearing for my life? Why yes, because who knew that this university was located on a hill where it is virtually impossible to see where you are going because of the cars driving in the opposite direction as you on several hundreds of dips and twists in the road. For all of you people thinking of even driving near West Virginia at night–Don’t, because the people of West Virginia do not know how to drive and apparently they think nothing of driving you off the road while trying to get wherever it is they are going with absolutely no respect towards you, the miscreant who decided to get in their way by driving on the same road as them.
So to sum up the art festival, I have to say that it was the art festival that wasn’t; at least for me. We ended up driving around the university for an hour and a half, missing the showing of the film I went there to see in the first place, and at that point I was so frazzled, terrified and anxiety-ridden, I thought that it was ironic, to say the least, that I was going to an art festival all about healing while one of my main anxiety issues is getting lost driving at night on a busy road that I am not familiar with. While some may find it odd that while I do not drive and have never even had a driver’s license I can get to the point of having a panic attack while someone else is driving, I guess you would really have to know me. I’m a control freak and always have been, which is a common personal trait in survivors; so while I have had panic attacks behind the wheel of a car while learning to drive, making driving virtually impossible for me (at least for now) my mind still believes that I need to possess control over the driving situations; so if someone who is driving the car I am riding as the passenger in, my mind tells me that I am lost, on my own, in the dark in an unfamiliar place and I need to make sure that I can get back to where I am comfortable again. When someone is driving and gets lost, I immediately think “Oh no, I’m going to be stranded here forever. Do something!” And what do I do? Why badger the person driving about our whereabouts, approximately how many miles it will take until they know where we are again and approximately how long it will take to drive that many miles. I usually repeat this around 48 times.
So in the midst of being on the verge of a panic attack and wanting to choke the students of West Virginia University for not knowing directions around the campus they spend most of their time at or what building the art festival was being held at, after an hour and a half of driving I was spent. I wanted to get back to the hotel so I one, knew where I was again and two, could sleep the rest of the weekend because there was no way I was making the trip back to the largest university known to man where the students didn’t even know where they were; and so we went back to the hotel and my trip to the art festival to bask in the glory of my art turned into a two day vacation I apparently needed.
Me and the boyfriend spent the next day and night eating at Eat n’ Park, a Denny’s-like restaurant I had never heard of before and Sonic, a drive through food place that we get commercials for here, but are lacking the actual restaurant. We also drove around looking for something to do and low and behold, we found out that there is absolutely nothing to do in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. After seeing a commercial for a Dave and Buster’s arcade, which is being marketed as an arcade for adults equipped with a bar. A bar and an arcade is one fabulous combination–Get drunk, play games, how can you go wrong? Well, apparently you can, since after driving an hour there we found out that it is merely a place for adults to sit and get drunk while their kids play arcade games approximately ten to fifteen years old; not fun.
While this weekend was supposed to be a weekend all about healing, I did do something very new and very great for myself this weekend, despite going to the art festival. For the first time in eight years, I went swimming; not only that, I went swimming in a pool that was also being occupied by other people. I forgot how much I love swimming; I really, really love swimming and now have the urge to get a membership at the local YMCA so I can go swimming as much as I want to. So while I didn’t make it to the art festival, I did do something that has had a great healing effect on me and loved every second of it.
holly… I think it’s cool that you turned a tough situation into something positive! *hugs*
I’m sorry you missed your festival, lover. That college sounds ridiculous and I’ll be sure to add it to my list of places never to visit.
I am so proud of you, baby! Glad you had a good time even though you didn’t get to where you were going. I’m terrified to go in a pool occupied by other people - Good job, heh.
I love you!
I’m sorry the festival didn’t work like you planned, but it sounds like you’ve learned a thing or two– other than those students are stupid!
And you did something you’re terrified of and enjoyed it. Hugs to you;)
You really know how to turn a negative into a postive. What an excellent outlook you have! I tried the Y myself but only lasted about 3 swims and I lost my nerve, I totally understand how you feel-you’re so brave!
I just found your blog and I loved how you described how out of control you feel in a car. I do that too if I am not the driver. I love how your weekend was a positive even though it wasn’t what you planned.
Ooops. I confused my email and blog site addresses. These are the proper ones.