As far as reality snapbacks go, it’s hard to top waking up to the news that your country bombed Iran this morning. Twenty-plus years later, they don’t even have to attempt to prove a thing, they just say WMD and the jets take off. That kind of efficiency can’t be faked. It is pure fascism. On top of supporting, committing genocide against the Palestinians. If you disagree with those words, that’s a choice you’re making and not a reflection of truth. History will remember us as barbarians and we’ll have earned it.

I spent the weekend in the hot summer sun in the gorgeous, green and vibrant Freak Valley. It was a beautiful, beautifully exhausting experience. The kind of tired that lets you know you did a thing you wanted to do the way you wanted to do it.

And if you want to know why, that’s why. Because the world is a fucking terrible place, and the people in it — who as far as they know are on the only planet with living creatures in a universe that’s so big we’re only starting to understand the threads that connect it together — are so cruel to each other. You have to survive. You have to take the moments of beauty where you can get them and cling to them desperately. Maybe that’s a music festival. Maybe it’s an afternoon with your family. Maybe it’s sitting by yourself being bored. Hold onto it.

That’s a pretty simple lesson but among the hardest shit to do — appreciate what you have while you have it. I am incredibly grateful for having had this weekend to pace around, take photos, hide in shady corners to write, drink like 40 gallons of water, and see amazing people and amazing bands. Jens Heide and the Rockfreaks crew at Freak Valley are second to none in my experience, and what FVF has carved out for itself between those hillsides is amazing and special.

My flight is in about and hour and a half. Security was a breeze. I feel tired, glad I came, and sad about the country I’m returning to. I worry about the years to come.

Thank you for reading. Tomorrow’s Monday. No posts so I can catch up writing. I’ll be back Tuesday with more. Stay safe out there.

Tags: Freak Valley 2025, Freak Valley 2025 Coverage, Germany, Netphen

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 22nd, 2025 at 6:00 am and is filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.