Sunday, March 9, 2014. 3:14 am

It is always during the hard times in humans lives, that us humans remember that we are all in this together. No matter how rich, how talented, how beautiful, how much you take care of yourself, or how much you just do not give a fuck, we are all the same. We all face the exact same fate. We live everyday knowing that we are going to die some day, but sometimes forget that we do not know when that day will come. It is with great sadness and regret that I am writing this. After a fun night that turned into a morning of hanging with some friends, I woke up to a text that simply read " Did you get the news?" Nothing else was in that text, but I got the worst feeling in my stomach & I knew something was wrong. I found out that one of our friends had passed away & another one is in the hospital. Till this second, I cannot grasp that. He is dead. No more of him. Even when I try to think of it, and understand, it does not register. It does not make sense. We are never prepared for these type of situations. Because most of us live like we are invincible. It is a shitty feeling. And I wish it upon no one. The feeling of emptiness. But we must try our best to stay composed, because I know that there are people who are in worst shape than we are. His family, his very close friends. They all need us at this moment. We all need each other. It does suck to have to go through something like this. But it is also an amazing feeling to see, and more importantly, feel the love and the caring nature of human beings during a time of distress. We are all in this together. We will pull through this. There is no other way. The harsh reality is that life goes on. & at this moment, we need to pull it together to figure out what the next step is, & reach out to his family to be of any service. Fuck the bs, fuck whatever happened in the past. It is time to act like the compassionate human beings that we are. You do not have to say anything. Sometimes, it is even better not to. but the fact that you are there, supporting, helping, means the world to those who are affected the most. Have fun with your life, be happy, live on the edge. But do not live stupid. Do not set yourself up. Think before you act on an idea that might be a mistake waiting to happen. Everything will be okay. It is just going to take some time to get use to the idea of that emptiness being there. It is time to unite and pull this together. I believe we are all smart, and loving individuals that together, form a great group of people. Peace and Love be with all, and Live Life Happy.

RIP Crox. You will be missed.

I'll let you borrow some parents.

i have this thing of always making myself feel like shit. I find it necessary at times to try and keep myself grounded. It is usually just a random thought, that turns into overthinking of course, that in turn, changes the way i currently feel. At times, it does me good. At others, it just frustrates me more than I already am. My current issue that is really bothering, to the point that it prompted me to write about it, is my parents. And I am not saying what they do to me that is bad, or to others, or each other. But more like the thought that I will NEVER, and I mean NEVER, be able to repay them for all they have done for me. And still till this day, will do for me. i do not think we stop enough times to actually just sit there and realize how much our parents have done for us. Well those of us lucky enough to have them. But if you are lucky like I am, then you might be able to relate to this. I know my parents would do anything, literally ANYTHING for my brother and I. If they had to give their life for us, they would. Think about that for a second. Their life. Their existence. Their being. Their life. Thats just a sense of how much love they have. Love that I am sure, most of us don't reciprocate it. I am guilty of this. And it is a shitty feeling. Now, I am sure each of us and our parents have our own struggles. We are all different yet the same. In the sense that we are all human beings, but have different religions, country of origin, languages, so on and so forth. For me personally, my family came from Mexico. I am part of the first US born generation in our family, like I am sure most of you are as well. (share the same background as me) We take simple things for granted. Communicating in English for example. It has become our first language, even if most of our parents don't know much about it. Do you ever think of traveling to another country? How much fun it would be? The problem would be, if the native language from that country isn't English. And you know very little of their language. Imagine how difficult it would be to communicate even simple thoughts to other people. Now imagine going through that every single day. Yet, our parents are still here. Working their ass off. Some might be making okay money. To be classified as "well off". Some other might be at a shitty ass job that they do not enjoy. Yet, our parents are still here. All because of that love they have for us. Because we are their "why". Why do you go to work to a shitty job you do not like? Why do you go to a job that wasn't your "dream job". Because of us. Yet we can not even be nice to them every single time we see each other? I know I take my parents for granted. And as I get older, the number of friends or acquaintances who have lost a parent(s), is slowly rising. And that is some scary ass shit. Since I was younger, my parents have always been around. Everyday. And I went through that phase where are your parents do is "bug". Asking questions about what you do, where you do it, who you do it with. Sometimes, it's just to literally know about your life, to feel a little more connected. But of course, we brush it off as them trying to be nosy and intrude in our lives. I'm not going to lie, it is difficult sometimes for any child, to connect or find something that both of you can still do. Remember, your parents are not as young as they use to be. We got a lot older, and so have they. This is when they need us the most. Even if it's literally just a "how was your day?" You never know what mood they might have been before, that you just happen to brighten up their day. Of course, there will be your bad days with them. That is normal. But just work on your disagreements and find the best solution for both parties. You are not meant to be with your parents for ever. But do take advantage of the time we have left. Because we never know when our parents will stop being here. And the parents that the universe let us borrow, are being taken back. I hope to be a better brother, a better worker, a better son, and above all, a better person for everyone. Life Life Happy. Peace and One Love.

Life is Beautiful

Work isn't work.

It has been a very busy past few months. And I can honestly say that I am at an extremely high point in my life. No where near the highest though. I know it will only get harder, but better from here on out. Working in this industry teaches you a whole lot, about yourself, as well as how other people are towards you. Hard work and patience are the key factor on the aspect that you can control. Of course there are many things you can not, and for this I am extremely thankful that I have gotten lucky and have met the right people, at the correct times, and made the best decisions for myself. My work ethic has definitely improved. I never settle for less than  I can achieve, and even then, I know that I can always do better. So to this I say, never settle. Yeah you might have a well paid job, but you can always learn more, be better, be a stronger person on the team. I know I still have a very long and difficult road ahead but I am ready and extremely excited to jump right in to it.
These past months I have worked hard. I received an opportunity and I ran with it. I learned many new skills, met many great people, and have travelled more than I have my entire life. I am loving every minute of it. I understand that there are many people who wish they had the same opportunity that has been presented, and would do anything for my job. That keeps me motivated to work harder.
I am still living at home. But I know that eventually I will be moving out. Hopefully sooner than later. And although I always get stupid remarks like "you said you were leaving months ago, you still here?!, you're not leaving ever, etc" I remain motivated and focused on MY goals. Because I am not doing any of this to impress anyone but myself. The people who actually matter will still be there. Time and distance wont kill a friendship. The people will be the ones who ultimately kill it. And I mean that of both parties. If someone feels like I am not worth their time, maybe they are right. Just like if I feel like they are not worth my time as well. No hard feelings, at least from my side. I understand that we are not meant to keep everyone in our lives forever. It is a never ending lesson. life is beautiful. Life is meant to be enjoyed. It has been hard. Today has marked my very first day in a few months that I did not leave my house at all. It was bitter sweet. It felt great to not have to do anything. But it sucked not having anything to do! My life has turned into this. Sacrifice holidays, family outings, friend outings, and any other 'fun' activity that I use to want to do. But you know what, I wouldn't trade it for anything. I know this will help me in the long run. And one day, I can tell people back home how I made it. And the amazing life that I have made for myself. And for those people who truly matter. Slowly, but surely, my life is starting to come together nicely. We are trying to grasp this concept slowly, but life is moving way faster than ever, and I'm just here trying my best to keep up with it. And so far, I am succeeding! Time to make shit happen! Have a great week! It is almost Christmas time! Such a beautiful time of the year! Can't wait to do all the cheesy traditional stuff! Live Life Happy. Peace and One Love.

EDC 2013!

So while I wait for my lasagna to finish baking, I will finally post up a few tips for this weekend for those of us who will be in Vegas. According to my weather app on my phone, the weather for the weekend is going to be over 100 degrees every day while the sun is out, and about 70 degrees at night. It is safe to say that it is going to be a warm one. With that being said, the most important thing that I will tell you today is to stay hydrated! Drink more water than you think you need. You will be running around, dancing, sweating, and the chance of you becoming dehydrated is huge. Trust me, I know how it is at a festival. You run around from stage to stage, barely any time to even stop. It is important however that you drink water. The Night owl volunteers will be dispensing FREE water at the festival. So do not be afraid to go and get some. There shouldn't be an excuse of why you did not drink enough water. Remember to give your volunteers some tips, or even a smile is highly appreciated! There are a few extra things that will make your experience a little better.
- account for extra waiting time.
      there WILL be traffic, and there will be a whole lot of people there. That means a lot of waiting if you decide to go a little later. My advice would be to get there as soon as you can, even if you just go to hang out inside the festival and relax. Not to mention, there will be a whole lot of art installations, rides, and other surprises waiting for you inside!
- do not wait until the day of to start drinking water.
      If you are reading this days before the festival, start drinking water now! Prepare your body for what your about to put it through. The better prepared, the lower the chance of you becoming dehydrate and having a bad experience. And don't forget to keep drinking it the whole weekend!
-have a good filling meal before heading in.
     The better you prepare your body, the better chance of you having a great time. try to stay off those foods that will make you sluggish. Eat those complex carbs that will keep you energized for hours later. Not to mention food is a little pricey inside. You probably will have to buy some inside, but that can be later on.
- no one wants to smell your b.o. dude
    do everyone a favor and put some deodorant on before heading out. You WILL sweat, and when that happens, you don't want to be that guy that everyone looks at with a disgusted face. Shower when you get back to your room! All that sweat from people will be washed, plus it will relax your muscles.
- comfort over style.
   yes it is cool to dress in "style" and look cute, but it won't feel cute when your feet hurt and begin to swell. I personally recommend some good running shoes. Yes they are magical. Take some comfortable gear too, backpacks that won't weigh you down, a fanny pack maybe.
- protect your ears for years to come
    if you go to as many festivals as I do, you will learn that your ears start to experience some hearing loss, and that is horrible news to us who love music. Yes it may look uncool, or you won't "listen to it the same" but at least put some earplugs in for a few hours during your festival experience. The older, wiser you will thank you later.
- the elephant in the room
    I am not here to judge or say what is right and wrong, but if you do decide to engage in some activities that are highly frowned upon, please be safe. If you or someone in your group needs help, contact any security, Ground control (purple shirts with the light sabers) or even vendors for help! It is better that you ask for help and get to safety. than for something much worse to happen. Do not worry about getting in trouble, as long as you or the other person are safe, that is all that matters. Do try and find out if someone did decide to take something, to inform the paramedics, and do NOT lie to them. This is someones safety at stake here. They are not there to punish you, they are there to help.
- post festival madness
    one way in, one way out. Thats 100,000 people trying to get out of the same place. Be patient, the wait will be a long one. Take some snacks and water bottles so you can have something to munch on and stay hydrated while you wait.

Remember, we are all about the good vibes and that positive energy. Give that out to the festival and the festival will give it back to you!  Share a moment with a stranger, have tons of laughs, and make millions of memories. Because guess what, theres no place like home! We will be home my friends, and remember, we are your friends, you will never be alone again! Have safe travels, have lots of fun, and RAVE ON! Oh! and come out and say hi if you get a chance! You can also text me if you have my number in case you need anything! Peace Love Unity Respect. EDC is here, and we can't wait until that music starts! Peace and One Love, Live Life Happy.

The plan.

Every time I feel down, I stop and remember to just be awesome. But that's easier said than done! One thing is to talk it out and figure out a plan, & a whole different thing is to actually execute the plan to perfection. It won't happen unfortunately. It sucks being depressed bt it's part of life. Because without ugly days, we would never appreciate the nice beautiful days. It has to rain every once in a while so that we can appreciated those nice sunny days we can go out & fly a kite. Days like this I am reminded that I am a normal human being, with normal feelings. And even though most of the time I do a great job at staying positive regardless of the situation, there will be times that I will break. But I will think it through, & with a little bit of time, I will get over & go back to being happy & positive. Because this feeling is only temporary, & it will only last as long as we let it. Just as are happy feelings. So we must never stop working to be happy, to stay positive, & to always help out everyone around us to be the same. So it's okay to be down. Just remember that you are meant to be happy, & that this too shall pass. Focus on becoming more successful, more happy, more genuinely smiling at life. Have a great start of the week. Life Life Happy. Peace and One Love.

Peace Love Unity Respect

A few weeks ago, there was a story that was ran on a certain LA newspaper about how dangerous "raves" were and how horrible the production companies were handling the problems that came with these festivals. More specifically, Insomniac productions. Now, I know it might sound completely biased, as I have attended, volunteered, and worked at Insomniac's shows, but I would still like to put my two cents in. No matter how great (or stupid) the story seems, and how extensively sourced it may have sounded, it completely left out the other side of the story. OUR side. Most people judge and fear what they do not know, what they only hear about them. And of course, we all know that watching the news is one of the most depressing things you can do, since its mostly made up of negative things happening around the world. Now, while yes, there have been some misfortunate deaths, and I, in no way, shape, or form mean to downgrade the severity of the deaths (condolences to the families and friends of the guests who lost their lives) but focusing on just the negatives of the festivals is not a good way to try and truly explain how festivals go about. Compared to the massive amount of people attending these events, the numbers are actually really great. That's thanks to the hard work that everyone who works at, for, or is in one way or another contracted by Insomniac productions, does at these events. From the volunteers, to the security, to the stage managers, paramedics, police, and everyone in between that isn't directly employed on a full time basis by Insomniac, we work hard as fuck to always bring the best to or guests. But we also understand that we shall never put their safety in jeopardy in exchange for something that may seem amazing at the time. Safety is always the number one factor when organizing and planning massive events. And this doesn't just go for Insomniac. I am sure most other companies feel the same way. Singling out a single culture, just because you hear certain things about it, and stereotyping everyone that walks into the grounds is just wrong. We are in the fucking year 2013, get your shit together. Drugs and raves go to together like horses and rodeos? If you don't have both you don't have them? Are you stupid? You're assuming that everyone that attends these events, who pays with their hard earned money that they slave away, with all that excitement leading up to the day of, that we all go all drug ourselves out? While I am not going to sit here and deny that those activities do not happen, not everyone at the events participates in them. While we can do everything possible to try and prevent the narcotics from being brought in, the fact of the matter remains that they're going to find a way unfortunately. And while you sit there pointing fingers, claiming that we basically encourage people to participate in these activities by providing medical personnel to help when people fall out or something of the sort from utilizing drugs, I ask of you again, Are you stupid? If we don't have those personnel, do you not think that worst things can happen? It's always better to prepare and not need it, then need and not be prepared for it. Stop pointing fingers to a certain group just because you don't understand our culture and our way of life. Take some time to actually experience these events for yourself. I invite you to join us, and volunteer for one of these, then let me know what your opinions and certain "facts" of these events are. If your interested, email volunteers@insomniac.com, and we will gladly provide you more information on how to join our group. Tommy sunshine said it best "Everyone deserves to experience the joy we experience on the dance floor as the bass line drops. Come on in! The music is great, the people are warm and we've got a spot saved for you on the floor." So let's rage together, have some major fun, and let the love spread. Don't spread more hatred and hostility. There is absolutely no point to that. Instead, spread that PLUR life out to your everyday life. Hope you all had a great weekend. Don't forget to always Live Life Happy. Peace and One Love.

#foreveralone2

As today is valentines day, aka single awareness day, I decided it would be fitting to talk about some issues I always read about online. To start of, the fact of the matter is and will always be, that we, as humans, enjoy the company of others. We like the attention, we like to be loved and needed. And that's fine and dandy, but that shouldn't mean that you HAVE to always have someone with you. It's normal to feel lonely every once in a while, but I am sure I can speak for many people when I say, no one wants a needy ass person who can't function without someone else. It's annoying to try and hang out with them because of their always depressive mood. Before you go out and try to get someone to want you, you have to be confident and secure about yourself. Because you are unique and you have some qualities that no one else has. So have some patience (which I know in our generation, instant gratification is a huge thing) and just wait patiently and trust that one day someone will come along your path and if things are right, you guys can share some time together. Mean while you wait, go out and do stuff YOU like. Work towards those goals you set up. Would you want someone who's just there not doing much with their life, waiting for you to take then out and all that stuff? Hell no! So you shouldn't do that either. Be confident about yourself, I know it's easier said than done, but have some faith. Patience. And strive to ALWAYS be better. One day. One day. Until then, do you boo boo, do you! Have a great day, enjoy this and every other day whether or not you have someone. By the way, if you do have someone, enjoy the shit out of them! Have some fun, do crazy stuff together, laugh ALOT! That is all for now. Life Life Happy, Peace and One Love.

Work hard

It is important to know what it means to sacrifice yourself, to kill yourself for a few days/weeks/months/years. That way, when you actually have days off, you can enjoy them. We can't always be happy, we can't always be on vacation, it can't always be a beautiful day. Or else we wouldn't truly appreciate the time off, the happiness we feel, or the sunny days where we can do whatever we want. So while it is important to work hard, never forget to have some time off to have some fun, to do whatever makes you happy. Whether it be a trip out somewhere, a good run or workout, or even just watching some tv and pigging out, as long as you're happy. Who cares what people say, who cares if you can not make out to a function or party. It is you who is dealing with all the stress. So the next time a "Friend" tries to call you out on shit because you are too busy, let it be. Just be happy. You are your own happiness. Nothing can be embarrassing if you don't let, nothing can be sad if you don't let it. And no one can be happy if they don't make it. Have a great and safe weekend. Live Life Happy. Peace and One Love

Random post title

Live life happy. Make your own happiness. And make it come true. Set some time apart to study, and to learn how to become even more happier. Peace and One Love.

For the road..

Just a small post to say thanks for everything this year, since I won't get a chance tomorrow. We continue to grow with time and the new year will only be better. Always strive for the best. Thanks for the time you spend here with me, means a whole lot. Have a great night, be safe please. And most of all, have fun! Live life happy, Peace and One Love.

Holidays

As you can see, the world did not end. How exciting because I was not ready to go just yet. The year is quickly coming to a close, and it is time to reflect and look back on this year and the progress made. We can only hope for the new year to be even better, with new experiences, and new journeys. Always look ahead to the bigger picture and prepare to be the best. Stay positive through out all the negative stuff, because it is all temporary. Hard work will pay off! So keep pushing. The end of 2012 will be great, and the start of 2013 will be amazing! Write a few goals down and accomplish them before the end of next year. I believe in you. Live life happy, Peace and One Love.