The pure essence of it all

Today, my voice is so hoarse I can hardly talk.
My shins and thighs are aching so badly that I’m walking like someone more than twice my age.
I’ve probably had less than eight cumulative hours of sleep from the last three nights.
I even discovered my face ached.
But it was all TOTALLY worth the three incredible days and nights I spent at the annual Essence Music Festival.

See, this event is like an annual mecca for lovers of R&B/soul and hip hop music for the grown and sexy. I’ve gone every single summer since I’ve graduated from college there.
I mean, anyone that knows me always knows where to find me during that first week in July. In fact, my friends and I look at it as sort of our mini-reunion event.

The only year I didn’t go was last year because it was in Houston and… well ... contrary to what my colleague and Houston native/cheerleader Joel Anderson would vehemently argue, that particular Essence Fest just wasn’t the real thing.
Of course, just like Joel, I tend to be a little biased since that was my college town.

Anyway, Essence Fest ‘07 was spectacular, awesome, exhilarating, mind-blowing, relaxing, therapeutic, rejuvenating, empowering, liberating and any other adjective that can be used as a fancy way of saying ‘wonderful.’

This year was particularly special because it was the first summer that the event returned home to New Orleans, post-Katrina. And while the reminders of Katrina are still around, it never felt so good to back in my home away from home.

Well, I know I tend to get long-winded on here sometimes, so I’ll just cut this short for now and try to recap the event through pics a little later. Stay tuned!