Chairlady’s Musings: April 2025

What is your Splashy Fen?

You guessed it! I just came back from 3 fun-filled days at Splashy Fen. This should be a short musing (went, had fun, came back!), but no, there were some lessons for me in attending. Let’s unpack the event and my emotions towards it.

Obviously, the excitement when ticket sales opened and all the beautiful memories from last year came flooding in. And seeing the photos and videos on their socials, wow, how can you not be super excited! When you see the photo of the entry sign that says “Welcome Home” it makes you quite nostalgic. And to see how excited my teenage daughter is, certainly makes you look forward to an event based on happiness and music.

Then I go ostrich and wait till closer to the time, where I started panicking about taking time off from being busy! From constantly doing something productive. How do I spend 3 days be-ing and not do-ing. Relaxing is difficult for me, and especially at home, where there is always something that can be done and it is also my place of work. There was also the (older people worries…lol!) about knowing it is going to be very cold, possibly wet and there will be very little sleep. Well, I wasn’t wrong in anticipating the physical discomfort, but I was SO WRONG, in the emotional experience. I somehow managed to just go with the flow, sitting for hours listening to music, watching people have fun, feeling the sun on my skin and trying out all the different food options. The waking up in the morning, creeping out of the tent, making a cuppa tea and drink it slowly watching the majestic mountains and surrounding beauty without checking the time (still in my pjs plus 5 other layers that slowly gets taken off as the sun warms up). To only get going around 10 or 11 am without feeling guilty. It was a time of not thinking about work once, about connecting with so many friends, seeing my daughter having fun (ok we didn’t see much of her at all so I can just assume she was having lots of fun). Then there was the physical aspect of walking a lot between the stages, up and down a few hills (so I didn’t feel too lazy) and hours of dancing…. So, this truly is a perfect combination of filling the soul on all levels.

The Splashy slogan is STAY HUMAN! And I love that. We are human, we are flawed and we are magnificent. We make mistakes, we win and lose, and we love and hurt. Always be yourself, be the real you, the authentic you and be quick to forgive yourself and others and to be kind.

My question to you: What is your Splashy Fen? What makes you forget work, the outside world and make hours go by in blissful being and not doing? What makes you forget to check your phone?