text: It feels senseless attempting to use written words to portray the three-day nirvana that was EDC 2012...but here goes nothing!\n\nEDC 2012 was my third EDC.This year, I arrived in Las Vegas with two goals: the first, to not end up separated from my crew (which I somehow managed to do not once, not twice, but on all three days of EDC 2011)...and the second, to dive in to EDC headfirst and finish the weekend with no regrets... \n\nBoth of these goals were accomplished by leaps and bounds, despite the fact that EDC required my friends and I to bust more missions than I ever considered myself capable of (thanks in no small part to a wallet/EDC ticket/ID/credit card that was stolen on the dancefloor, our befriending of a lovely Canadian girl who had arrived in Las Vegas with nowhere to stay for the weekend, one friend's parents threatening the disownment of their daughter, and a host of other situations that brought my friends and I closer together than ever before). For the weekend to have turned out to be such a RESOUNDING success despite the onset of one shitshow setback after another shows how truly special and amazing of an event EDC is. Anyways, here are my highlights:\n\n- Dusk 'til dawn! EDC's most unique characteristic is the festival's \"sunset to sunrise\" format, which demands as much as your body and your willpower are willing to put out - you'll find yourself with a reversed body clock by the end of the third day. Go for the three-day stretch - you'll find yourself with a newfound appreciation for yourself and the limits of your body.\n\n- The talent! Insomniac spared no expense in assembling a world-class lineup of DJs for EDC 2012. In a span of three days, I was able to see Steve Angello, Kaskade, Calvin Harris, Dada Life, Knife Party, and a whole host of the best that electronic/dance music has to offer. Every DJ who played at EDC brought their A-game, throwing down banger after banger and keepin' the party rockin'. I will never forget screaming \"This IS Paradise\" at the top of my lungs while seeing Fedde Le Grand bring in sunrise with his tune of the same name...nor will I forget hitching a ride atop a VIP cart in the heart of the crowd during David Guetta's \"Without You\", waving out to a sea of people, all of whom were cheering right back at my friends and I.\n\n- The production value, stage designs and lighting effects that were nothing short of world class...\n\nhttp://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/6NG_A-epYEpsJSugfAaTRQ?select=oKal-wTRBxCJjWzIhcaXig#6sN5BGLpzMnJjYIcjSyt_w\n\nEDC fully displays Insomniac's credo - \"it's all about the experience.\" The Kinetic Field - although not as jaw-dropping as last year's office building-sized structure, was \"hollow\", in that festival goers were now able to view sunrise through the stage itself. Equally breathtaking were the visual displays accompanying each DJ set; oozing neon colors and trippy illustrations came straight out of (the best kind of) an acid trip. I witnessed dozens of acrobats, costumed performers, fire dancers , and the ever-popular Mirror Man grace EDC with their talents; no details were overlooked in terms of the event's aesthetics. For example, the Red Bull Skydivers glided down to earth, shooting sparks each night...legit.\n\nOH, and I haven't even gotten to the fireworks yet. It looks like EDC has prematurely spoiled my 4th of July...\n\n- The sense of togetherness found within the crowds at EDC is unlike that of any other event. Because EDC calls for a serious investment of time, money, and energy, there's a filter effect that takes place. Obnoxious assholes and creepy hoodie-wearing tweakers are very much the minority at EDCLV (unlike most massive events held within the SoCal area), and I can speak from experience in saying that the overwhelming majority of the people that I met at EDC were fun-loving partygoers who were very polite (making way for your chain of head-bobbing friends as you navigate a crowd), down-to-earth, and friendly. \n\nThis same sense of good-natured behavior was emphasized by the Speedway staff and the Las Vegas Metro PD; when my friend lost his wallet, the police officers whom we asked for help were very much courteous (albeit powerless, as no definite lost & found had been set up...lovely). Did I mention that we hitchhiked our way back to the strip with some awesome Good Samiritan ravers on the first night (due to aforementioned stolen wallet)? EDC gives me faith in the good nature of human beings.\n\nI could go on and on, but really you'd have to experience EDC for yourself to fully know just how inspiring and life-changing of an event this is. I didn't really touch on the cons of EDC 2012 (god-awful traffic to/from the Speedway, inept organization with regards to the lost & found, a lack of food options to choose from, Mother Nature giving Saturday night the middle finger), but frankly, that's because all negativity had been erased from my mind for the weekend. For three days, EDC enabled my friends and I to touch the sky!