Author’s Note: I didn’t intend for this to be this long, but I’m just so jazzed about the event this year and I came home so buzzed that I need to write something down!

So basically tl;dr…

The first day of Motor City Pride just kicked off today and I had a lot of fun! This will be my second time attending Pride, and this will be the first time going imbracing my bisexuality. Like, I was a giggling mess the night before and I barely got any sleep, but I dragged myself out of bed this morning anyway.

The ride there was a complete trip, though. First of all, I was traveling by bus, and the buses run really crapping during the weekend (I mean, they always run kinda crappy, but on the weekends they’re way worse). I left out at late noon, took two buses to the bank, both buses came at reasonable times (surprisingly), but the second bus ride was so slow, or maybe it felt slow because I was so giddy. Then, I took a third bus that was suppose to drop off near the festival grounds; emphasis on “suppose”. I got on the bus, it was already 2 o’clock, so now I was getting really impatient. As I rode, I started to notice that the bus route was a little different. I didn’t make any mind of it, I just thought the driver was taking a different route because of all the contruction on the roads. Then I notice we entered the freeway and traveling near Flint, Michigan and Ohio, and I started to freak out. Luckily, someone else on the bus (there were two other people) spoke up and asked what was going on. The bus driver was shocked that we waited this long to speak up; apparently that bus route changes on the weekend. I had zero idea that happens. So we dropped off at the nearest bus stop that took us back to the bus terminal. I was livid. I paced back and forward at the bus stop until the bus arrived. Finally, I got to the damn place at 3:14, lines packed with rainbow claded outfits and quirky get-ups. Part of me was so frustrated with the journey to get there, but I was really happy that I finally made it. I just had to get through the crowded lines and blazing heat…

My time there was really fun. Loud music everywhere, venders selling any and everything with rainbows and pride flags on them, and people just being themselves. Like, the entire vibe there was just being; being yourself, being loved, being happy with who you are. That’s what I’m learning to do, being happy with myself.

Honestly, when I was there, I felt a bit lonely. Everybody hanging out friends and family, several with partners and showing off PDA. It was hard not to feel jealous. Both times I attended Pride, I was by myself, I don’t have a support network to hang with; I haven’t really come out to anyone yet, and the only people I have in my life to tell is my family, and that’s not happening any time soon, or ever. And, the whole couples’ thing was generally me being jealous over the fact that I’ve never dated before (I’m allowed to be petty from time to time, right?) Well, I felt lonely up until someone approached today and chatted me up. He was really friendly, one of the first things he asked me was if I worked out because, in his words, “I looked like I had strong arms”. He apparently wandered off from his friends and was just walking around until he saw me. So we decided to hang out a little bit. We talked about school and work, he showed me some of his artwork, and I didn’t want to show him mine. He talked about how fun going to Pride is and how this was like his 5th or 6th time coming to support his friends. He really wanted to stay in contact with me, so I gave him my email. We eventually parted, and I went off on my own again.

As much as I went on about being lonely there, the atmosphere was so warm and inviting that I felt like I was apart of something bigger. Everyone there has probably been put into situtations were they felt completly alone with noone to reach out to. Just because I came alone didn’t mean I was by myself. The reason I came to Pride was so I wouldn’t feel like such an outlier. I was surrounded by people who have vastly differing lives and backgrounds, but came together for this one event that connected them as a community, because of one or several aspects of their character that they share in common with strangers. That’s why I will be going back to Pride the next day, and then going the year after that and the year next, whether or not I go alone or with a posse.