Expedition to Coachella

Last April, my husband and I attended the Entrepreneurs Organization’s Global Leadership Conference (EOGLC) in Toronto.

We were there to support the incoming global chair, who happens to be a Filipina, and to learn to become better leaders and business persons.

It was an exciting week of learning, networking and sharing experiences, with the best entrepreneurs all over the world.

So adulting. So serious. But what happened the weekend before was a different story.

Entourage-style parties are a staple in Coachella.

Coachella fellas

When people heard that I went to Coachella, they would hide a giggle and say “teenager, ah.”

But for those who have been to the famed music festival held at Coachella Valley, Indio (near Palm Springs), they can attest that a wide-age group crowd attends it, one of the reasons being its very steep ticket price. (Yup, I’m defensive.)

Coachella has always been on my bucket list, so when our group decided to go to the festival the weekend before EOGLC, we grabbed it faster than you can say “Fomo” (Fear of missing out).

The Expedition’s new design cues make it more intimidating and masculine.

Expedition starts

We landed in LA and got our ride for the week, the 2018 Ford Expedition. We had been Expedition owners when we only had two kids; it was one of my favorite cars.

Looks. In the latest version, much has evolved. It has grown, with space everywhere. The design cues from the previous year’s model have gravitated towards a boxier look; it looks more intimidating and masculine.

Power. The 2018 Expedition’s is fitted with a 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine, and 10-speed automatic transmission producing up to 400 horsepower and 480-foot-pounds of torque with best-in-class fuel economy and towing capability.

It has an aluminum-alloy body and redesigned high-strength steel frame foundation for the Expedition’s rugged off-road and strong towing capabilities.

This will come handy especially for people who are towing trailers for their accommodation during their Coachella stint.

The Expedition also comes with a very helpful back-up assist that will benefit any driver of any skill level.

Interiors. Space is its claim to fame. The third row is spacious enough that the person sitting won’t feel like an out-of-place groupie.

Most of the seats have access to charging ports and ambiance controls.

Expedition Interior

Access to the back seat, too, is now easier, thanks to the sliding second-row seat with tip-and-slide functionality.

I really like the flexible seating options. With a touch of a button, the third-row folds flat and the boot closes, giving you a lot of conveniences when hauling a bunch of luggage and shopping bags (what’s a trip to the US without going into an outlet mall?).

Connectivity. Ford has always been at the forefront of the bells-and-whistle department on the dashboard.

The new Expedition is equipped with the no cable iPhone X charger, which I found very cool.

Car Sync was very helpful in sharing the Waze or Google map information to the driver so the navigator (in this case, me) can take naps while traversing the famous LA traffic.

Driving. It looks like a big car, and it drives like a big car. Those interior spaces must come from somewhere. It might look normal in the US because there are more cars on steroids on the roads, but in Manila, this car will look like a mammoth of a vehicle.

But because most Expedition owners here are chauffeur-driven, why will you not opt for a car that looks like Goliath but can be as comfortable as Cleopatra’s crib while letting Manong worry about parking.

Jamiroquai with Snoop Dog

Jamiroquai and Snoop Dog

Although the festival headliners were the Weekend, Beyonce and Eminem, I really went for Jamiroquai.

A lot of people in my age group know who Jamiroquai is and his songs “Space Cowboy,” “Cosmic Girl,” and “Virtual Insanity.”

When Snoop Dog came out as his special guest, the titas and titos in the crowd went wild.

We saw Kygo, Jaime Foxx, Rita Ora on the other stages, while Kendrick Lamar, Chance the Rapper, and Cardi B prepped up festival goers for the highlight of the festival, no other than Beyonce.

Queen Bey started strong with “Crazy in Love,” and pulled JayZ and a Destiny’s Child reunion from her magician’s hat.

Tita’s notes

One of the key learnings we had going to Coachella is that you are never too young or too old to enjoy music.

Coachella was not just about teenagers (or adults) going crazy on booze and other stuff; it was about meeting people that shared the same passion.

Second, when you are a bit older, roughing it out is out of the equation.

Third, a great group can make or break the experience. If there is one festival that you should attend once in your life, I highly recommend going to Coachella and experience “Fun-dulting.”