Welcome home. Again. This was my
second year at Burning Man and I couldn’t have been more excited to return to
Black Rock City. Making the journey all the way to northern Nevada is no
easy feat, but for many people, they spend all year planning and daydreaming
about this one week. “But the tickets are so expensive… and it’s only for
admission…” Yes, this is true, but once you pass through the gates, you get
this overwhelming feeling of belonging that you cannot shake. Imagine arriving
into a foreign city where you are greeted by smiling, welcoming faces from
people who are just as thrilled to be alive as you are. Oh and they want to
hear your story, feed you, or give you a ride around on their awesome motorized
swing. Well, that’s Burning Man.
This year many “Birgins”, Burning
Man’s virgin goers, got the chance to experience this place including a number
of close friends. My advice to them and to anyone planning to come next year is
to go out of your way to be patient, helpful and kind even when some situations
will infringe upon your comfort zones. So what if the shirt-cocker wants to
give you a hug and you weren’t planning on getting that close. Go ahead, your
limits will be pushed whether you want or not. The key here is respect and
honesty to keep a level playing field. This is your burn, but it is also
everyone else’s. Keep that in mind when you make personal decisions, since
you’re often in a group of friends that will pull in many different directions, or want to partake in a variety of events and do it all on their own time
frame. If you are willing to adapt
and make some concessions, you’ll find that even the low points of this week
will quickly be on the up and up.
Low points you ask? Why yes, not
all of Burning Man is glorious. There’s the infamous dust. Which seeps into
everything. Right now it’s all over my car, which didn’t even make the journey.
Also, you’re likely to become sleep deprived, dehydrated and moody—probably
caused from the former. My first year I heard “You can’t see everything”, and
once you’re on playa time you get it. You’re here, no more worries, simply
enjoy your time, leave the stress for the default world and make the most of
your week.
Many thanks to all the wonderful
people who put so much hard work and love into this temporary city. See you
next year!
