Imagine an electric ocean of sand where colorful and vibrant characters flow through dusty desert and a clockwork maze of camps. Sunrise and sunset become interchangeable. Time seems to warp in strange fashions and one day can feel like an hour or ten. Caravans spend hours getting onto the playa (the dried lake bed where the magic happens), and many spend the entire year preparing for a festival that takes only 8 days. Art installations that stagger the mind are burned or disappear by the end of it all.
In one day it is just as likely to see a conga line of naked people by a fire as it is to experience the weight of people writing their prayers for lost loved ones in a beautiful and intricate temple, reminding me of the Buddhist temples in Myanmar. Burning Man is truly a Choose Your Own Adventure. There are workshops, talks, yoga, day parties, art stations, lemonade stands, bars, pancake camps, smoothie spots, bike repairs, life coaching, roller discos, clubs, adult jungle gyms, air conditioned domes, day cares, climbable structures, and many many light up art cars blasting music and rolling through the playa.
Nowhere else have I experienced the level of freedom of self expression in the way I have at Burning Man. No camp design or costume or outfit was too strange or out of place. I met a man in a leather speedo, chain necklaces, and a cop hat who told me he was a lawyer who works a 9-5 job and no one at work knew he was there. He said Burning Man was the one week out of the year he could truly be whoever he wanted to be without judgment. I thought that was beautiful. Also, the organization of community across a group of 70,000 extremely different human beings, the openness and acceptance of everyone, and the generosity of strangers really touched me.
There is no currency exchange at Burning Man. The only things you can buy are ice and coffee. Burning Man operates on a "gifting" system, meaning people can gift one another anything from a cold drink to a piece of jewelry or clothing, to an art piece, to a massage, to a workshop session, to pretty much anything you can think of. The idea of gift giving is that there is no expectation of receiving something in return. I found that by doing this, people were more naturally giving and excited to share with one another. Also, everything you bring in, you bring out. No trash cans, you are responsible for yourself, your actions, and your waste. It was the cleanest festival I have Ever been to, the playa was near spotless throughout the week we were there.
People at the burn often talk about "playa magic". This could refer to synchronicity or to a seemingly random chain of events leading to spectacular experiences that could not be planned beforehand. Here, synchronicity and these incredible experiences were magnified. One adventure had us hopping art cars blasting music, sharing words and prayers at the temple, and then heading into the middle of nowhere in the desert on intuition alone, only to find ourselves before a spaceship called Dancetronauts where Skrillex happened to be playing a set in front of a huge pyramid of ladders. That is one small example of "playa magic". And it happened NONSTOP!
My experience? Overall, magical, great, fantastic. But as in life there were always ups and downs, the trick was to keep a positive and grateful attitude towards the downs! I showed up early on Sunday because I wanted to be a part of the whole experience, the build of our camp, the evolution of the festival, all of the burns, and eventually, the brutal tear down. The environment is super harsh. Dust storms are common and on our first night it poured like we were deep in the jungle, leaving everything a muddy goop in the morning. But I loved it. Again, for me it's about the experience, and I wanted to experience everything the playa had to offer. Throughout the trip I biked like a madwoman and climbed everything I could get my hands on #safetythird haha I felt like Indiana Jones! Another day there was a fierce dust storm, so of course I decided to walk barefoot through it to the temple :P Complete white out!
One of my favorite parts about Burning Man beyond the art and creativity, was the people and the deepening of newfound friendships. How quickly everyone in camp and strangers in the desert became family. People I will know and love for the rest of my life! I thank you all.
Burning Man. Put it on the Bucket List. www.burningman.com
Haha love the people behind us! Welcome to Burning Man!
Beautiful art installation near the temple.
The Temple. I came here every day. On the final day
the temple burned down and created a perfect spiral as
it fell to the ground. It was gorgeous.
and hung with us. Super authentic dude. @harmoniclight
on the camera. So much talent. #drapeseverywhere
incredibly intricate.
you can hop on and off of!
the man in the back?
Cuddle puddle with my favorite peeps at the absinthe bar.
