Set the Setting: June 2026

Meme drop, A primer on psychedelic integration, Finding self-love at Meduza, The beautiful people you meet at the rave, Griz b2b Wooli: Where have you been, 2026 EDC BUS PLAYLIST, Photo Drop

May 31, 2026

Meme drop

When most people think of June, they think about the beginning of Summer. A lot of people also think about Pride month. These things are certainly true, but for me - June is EDC Integration month!

By now, I’ve already spent the past two weeks reflecting on my favorite weekend of the year; sharing fond memories with my rave fam, re-watching sets on youtube + watching the sets that I missed, and relishing in the afterglow that shifts how I look at the world.

And after every EDC, through psychedelic integration, I can confidently say: I have a deeper sense of who I am, who I want to be, and where I’m going. Maybe she’s born with it, maybe - it’s integration!

A primer on psychedelic integration

A skeptical outsider might see EDC as an oversold, drug-fueled, 3-day bender; and for some - that’s all it is, that’s all it needs to be. However, for me, every EDC is a life- changing/affirming weekend because I practice psychedelic integration.

There is no single way to practice integration; there are various frameworks, strategies, and definitions. But all of them agree on two things: integration is an intentional process to understand a psychedelic experience and bring the lessons into daily life, and integration is a fundamental part of using psychedelics for personal growth.

“Integration is a process in which a person revisits and actively engages in making sense of, working through, translating, and processing the content of their psychedelic experience. Through intentional effort and supportive practices, this process allows one to gradually capture and incorporate the emergent lessons and insights into their lives, thus moving toward greater balance and wholeness, both internally (mind, body, and spirit) and externally (lifestyle, social relations, and the natural world).”

-Bathje, Majeski, & Kudowor, 2022

So, practically speaking, writing this blog post is a huge part of integrating my psychedelic experience! New perspectives and insights unfolded for me. I’m turning some of these fleeting epiphanies into enduring wisdom. And in doing so, I hope to encourage you to understand the incredible power of psychedelic integration. Because if you properly set the setting: a drug-fueled, 3-day bender can simultaneously be a portal to a deeper connection, meaning, self-discovery, and healing.

Finding Self-Love at Meduza

I wandered over to Cosmic Meadow with Brandon and Sarah to catch Meduza’s hybrid live set and as we approached a good spot, they ran into some old friends from Ultra! They went to vibe in the GA section for a bit and so I was by myself… and quite high on 4-HO-MET, a close structural analogue of psilocin (4-HO-DMT).

When you roll into EDC with a rave squad of 62 people, you rarely find yourself alone. And so in that moment I asked myself the question “am I lonely?” The answer… was yeah, I am. Every EDC of my 30’s - I’ve been single and wishing I wasn’t. Over time, I’ve just come to accept or “make peace” with that feeling; fighting the idea that “you need a partner to feel complete” while also accepting that I long for companionship.

And then Meduza played this beautiful remix of Rihanna’s “Where Have You Been” and my jaw was on the floor. The live piano was mesmerizing and the drop was this darker, progressive, underground vibe that was just UGH so devastatingly good. I clipped the youtube set to teleport back to that moment:

I’ve been everywhere, man, looking for someone
Someone who can please me
Love me all night long
I’ve been everywhere, man, looking for you, babe
Looking for you, babe
Searching for you, babe

Where have you been?
‘Cause I never see you out
Are you hiding from me, yeah?
Somewhere in the crowd

Through the past two weeks of integration, I’ve been reflecting on how this song is oozing with longing and desire. Looking through the crowd… searching for you babe.

Being alone at the Meduza set might have been triggering 10 years ago, but this time it was deeply nourishing. I’m still longing to find someone but this time, it’s on my own terms. I’m no longer the Rihanna / the one doing the searching. Instead, I’m the person somewhere in the crowd. Here I am, being my best self! Not hiding! I’m embodying a deep love for myself and my journey, and someone that’s looking for me will see that and feel that. It’s been euphoric to appreciate how far I’ve come.

Btw, Brandon and Sarah came back mid-way through the set, I took some more 4-HO-MET, and the rest of night 1 was immaculate!

The beautiful people you meet at the rave

I wasn’t in a 62 person squad for my first EDC. In fact… I didn’t rave with any of these people at my first EDC. Its dawned on me… holy shit, look at these beautiful people that I picked up over 13 years from the dance floor. And now, we get together and coordinate outfits each year? What?!

Everybody is seeking connection these days and, somehow, its felt so hard lately. The world feels heavy, and technology is NOT helping despite its promises to do so.

EDC reminds me how to connect with people. It restores my faith in humanity and our inherent ability to connect. Because, these are some of my closest friends and to think that - until our paths collided on the dance floor - they were just people “somewhere in the croooowd!”

Through integration, EDC has been the pathway for me to work in the psychedelics space, which has been a deep source of purpose and meaning. My passion in life is bringing people together, breaking down walls, breaking down stigma. Giving people the opportunity to heal themselves, build resilience, and to feel the way I’m feeling right now as I write this.

Love. Just, pure love that I have for the beautiful people you meet at the rave.

Griz b2b Wooli: Where have you been?

There’s a magical feeling when you’re surrounded by all of your friends. And the last night of EDC was a real treat when they put my favorite bass/dubstep B2B on main stage.

Since Griz has returned from his hiatus, he has been redefining the bass genre with his funky melodic saxophone. Paired with Wooli’s stompy cinematic dubstep; it perfectly blended some silly party vibes with earth shattering bass.

My thizz face was turned up to 11 when they played Rihanna’s Where Have You Been and I had no time to be introspective. My face was melting and I was dancing so hard. Unlike at Meduza, I was surrounded by my friends and feeling complete ecstasy:

Oh EDC… I love it so much. I already have tickets for next year and since some of the rave squad is taking next year off - we have space! Hit me up if you want to join me in 2027!

2026 EDC BUS PLAYLIST

For most people, getting to and from EDC is the worst part of the festival, but when you rent private shuttles… it’s the best way to begin and end the night! We get to party and catch up the whole way there and back. It’s very much part of the connection of EDC.

People add songs to the EDC Bus Playlist to the point where we have 10 hours of songs. Go nuts (I recommend you put it on shuffle!):

And of course, we are already brainstorming outfit themes for 2027. We’ll collect ideas for 9-10 months before taking a vote next February. There are some front runners in my mind already but it’s much too early to place bets. Much like an election, it’s really about momentum!