Black Rock City 2012

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!