My Work Sent Me to Coachella

    I never thought in a million years that I would be writing this, but my work sent me to Coachella. MY WORK SENT ME TO COACHELLA. Just typing that out doesn’t feel real. It gets even crazier because I am only just an intern! Back in October, I was lucky enough to be hired as one of Geojam’s first-ever interns. Geojam is a social media app that was just released one month ago, and I got to be a part of that journey! It’s crazy to think that one year ago today I was studying to be a speech-language pathologist and now I get paid to post on social media and attend Coachella. What is my life?

    Just one week before Coachella 2023, my boss asked me to hop on a meeting. I thought it was just going to be an average meeting that I’m typically asked to do on some days. When I joined, my boss acted as if I was in big trouble. I was so nervous that my heart dropped to my stomach. I thought I was about to be fired by my dream job, I knew it was too good to be true. I immediately started asking questions like what did I do wrong? My boss starts laughing and says, “We didn’t want to tell you until we knew for sure, but we want you to come to Coachella with us!” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Am I dreaming? 

        So many thoughts were filling my head. As I accepted the tickets, everything started to set in. I was going to go to Coachella in 6 days. Better yet, I was going to get paid to go to Coachella. Geojam had been planning a work event for Coachella months in advance. I just never thought they would ever invite me, especially because I’m just an intern. This event was going to be the biggest that they had ever held, and I was lucky to be a part of it.

                                                              Photo of me from the Playboy Party

    My crazy weekend started on a Thursday. I had to arrive a day early because we had our first event that night. When I first arrived in Palm Springs, I was welcomed with open arms by all my coworkers. They were ecstatic that I was going to be there with them for the whole weekend. It was especially nice because I typically work remotely, so I only really see their faces in Zoom meetings. My coworkers escorted me to my room and gave me the rundown on the weekend. They told me I should be prepared to be overwhelmingly busy considering we have four events we would have to attend on top of the music festival. I was ready for the challenge because I knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. That Thursday night, Geojam had its first event which was hosted by Playboy. We quickly had to get everything prepped and ready before guests and press arrived. We also had to prepare for Anderson Paak because he was going to be staying in our green room before his performance. I was in shock that I would be working with Anderson Paak, I couldn't believe it. 

                                                                         Anderson Paak

    Meeting Anderson Paak was insane! Not only did I get to meet one of my favorite artists, but I also got to listen to him perform all night long. It was basically a private concert, and I still couldn't believe my luck. The night was even more unforgettable because I got to meet so many huge executives who worked for Playboy and London Alley. It was incredible to be in the same room with so many talented people, and I felt like I had made it in the entertainment industry. The only downside was that I had to stay up until 5 in the morning to work such a crazy event. But it was worth it to be a part of such an incredible experience. I'll seriously never forget that night!

Photo of me from Geojam Party

     The next day was the real reason why I even got to go to Coachella in the first place. Friday was the day Geojam was hosting their very own work event with LA Weekly. We had over 7000 RSVPs and over 7000 bracelets to make. It was one of the busiest, most hardworking days of my life. I spent the day going through the RSVPs and making all those bracelets to ensure I had enough for guests. That night, I was in charge of posting on all of our social media platforms. It was a lot of pressure to make sure I was getting quality content, but I was up for the challenge. While filming content, I got to speak with our sponsors which included Arrowhead Water, Voss, and Lo Siento. The fact that I got to meet the marketing managers of all of these companies was amazing for expanding my network. I also got to enjoy another private concert by an amazing DJ named Amine! Working at my first big Coachella event was so rewarding.

                                                                       Amazon Music Party

    The next day, on Saturday, Geojam surprised everyone by throwing another event, a last-minute pool party. It was a much-needed break after the long night before, and we all got to hang out and relax before the real party started. After the pool party, we hopped on the party bus and headed to the Coachella festival. It was my first time at Coachella, and I was beyond excited. Throughout the festival, I got to enjoy myself and bond with all of my coworkers, something that I will cherish forever. It was amazing to see so many different artists perform and experience the energy of the festival. It was a great bonding experience for all of us, and I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to attend Coachella with such an incredible group of people. After the festival, I got invited to attend a Coachella after-party hosted by Amazon Music. Pink Pantharass performed so I got to hear her infamous song, Boy's a Liar Pt. 2. 

                                                                               Photo of me from Coachella

    Sunday was the last day of Coachella, and thankfully, I didn't have to work that day at all. I was so excited to attend the festival all day and meet up with my roommates from Fullerton. It was a perfect, stress-free day, with no work obligations to worry about. However, I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed with Frank Ocean's performance, so I ended up leaving his set early. But aside from that, everything was amazing, and I'll always remember that last day of Coachella.

    Overall, that weekend of Coachella was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I feel incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to work my dream job as a junior in college and to have been a part of such an incredible event. I made so many great memories with my coworkers and friends, and I'm forever grateful for all the new experiences and connections that came my way. As I look to the future, I'm excited to see where this journey takes me and the opportunities that will come my way. I can't wait to hopefully do it all over again next year and continue to grow with Geojam.