I went to Coachella to have a midlife crisis. It was more of an awakening.

• At 55 years old I lost my job — I went to Coachella to have a midlife crisis.
• I didn't know who was performing and I didn't care. I stepped away from my phone and relaxed.

Coachella came calling in January when I was settled in my hometown of Detroit, working a privileged editor job creating fluffy entertainment content.

My best friend and I splurged on flights, a hotel, and two tickets for the second weekend of the April festival. But in February, I was laid off at 55 years old.

I couldn't really afford this privileged pilgrimage to the desert anymore but I decided to experience it anyway in my new state of unknowing stress.

For me, Coachella was no longer about the performances or photo opportunities

The last time I was in California, I was working and trying to get invited to red carpets and high-end events so I could feed my job's demand for celebrity-driven entertainment news.

I'd spent the past 20-plus years running after musicians to grab just a few precious quotes and melting in the blistering sun while I sweet-talked publicists into bringing their celebrity talent over to me on the red carpet.

But at Coachella, I had no idea who was performing, nor did I care. I was simply on a mission to see how the privileged half lived and take everything in.

The festival grounds felt like a combination of a hot flash and wet dream on acid.

Artistic installations miles high, illuminating structures in constant movement, and so many colorful people in all different styles surrounded me. It was clear individuals (and brands) were trying their best to outdo each other, with one expensive whimsical creation after another and lines, long and wide.

We climbed up a hill, far from the crowds, and I gleefully became stuck to my blanket way into the evening. We watched the sea of fans move in waves from the long lines at installations to the frantic crowds at music stages. At one point, I realized that I hadn't picked up my phone in eight hours.

As I watched people doing what they loved I began to reevaluate my priorities. It quickly became clear that this trip wasn't about a music and arts festival at all — it was about witnessing what freedom and authenticity look like up close.

It was liberating out there in the desert

This trip to Palm Springs gave me perspective and allowed me to find peace in this chaos. It brought me closer to finding out what I had to say about myself.

I'd spent so much time at events as an entertainment writer, sharing stories of the privileged few, but I now had to come to peace with letting that part of my life go. I was finally free to explore my own personal style and my own voice instead of tracking down stars to seek out what they had to say.

I didn't take any selfies with the art installations or spend time at the branded experiences or food trucks for the 'Gram — and it was OK.

When I got home, I posted one simple picture to Instagram to commemorate the weekend — just me, standing at the Detroit airport against a cloudy sky.