It was the late 1990s.

It was the late 1990s.

A summer evening found me on the brink of the unknown.

I was 20, and my friends were excited about a rave party.

Me?

I hesitated.

Was this for me?

The rave had been a discovery in itself.

A friend stumbled upon an elusive flyer at a clothing store.

There was no address, just a number to dial for the location.

It sounded sketchy, but nervously, I went along with it.

On the day of the rave, we huddled together, dialing the number.

The recorded voice on the other end shared an address.

We hopped in the car and took off.

To our surprise, it led us to a quiet residential street.

But we noticed a cryptic sign on the mailbox.

Another number, another location.

The intensity built as we zigzagged through the city.

Suddenly, we heard muffled bass beats.

It grew louder.

We noticed bright lights flickering in the distance.

The source?

An abandoned hospital.

We parked our car and stepped into unfamiliar territory.

Each floor pulsated with life.

Lasers painted the walls.

DJs commanded the decks.

The energy was palpable.

We were strangers in a crowd of 5,000, yet connected by the rhythm, dancing till dawn.

That night was more than a party.

A mysterious flyer.

Multiple phone numbers.

An abandoned hospital-turned-dance floor.

The experience was unparalleled.

That excitement led me to frequent more raves, many in the unlikeliest places.

Old warehouses.

Grimy roller rinks.

Abandoned airplane hangers.

At that same time, my young entrepreneurial spirit had me organizing small social events.

But mine weren’t like the raves.

Inspired, I began infusing their essence into my events.

The DJs.

The lasers.

The vibe.

Soon, my events became the talk of Chicago.

The business eventually evolved into a full-blown concert promotions venture.

I worked with Grammy Award-winning artists.

World-renowned DJs.

And some of the biggest brands.

It all traces back to that rave that I was scared to go to.

Embracing unfamiliar territory opened doors I never knew existed.

It’s easy to get caught in life’s monotonous cycle.

Eat.

Sleep.

Work.

Repeat.

Breaking the mold by trying something unexpected can lead to memorable moments.

It can also spark innovative ideas.

If you find yourself stuck, dive into the unknown.

You never know where inspiration might strike.

Adventure may hurt you, but monotony will kill you.