fuck yeah )'(burningman)'(

This morning a man from Europe asked me “What is Burning Man”

I wrote a long winded reply…

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Burning Man is…

A place where you can go and be completely yourself and nobody will judge you. If you go with your friends or other people, it’s being able to connect with them on new levels and create amazing memories that will never leave any of you. Living with anyone for a week could be irritating, but when you’re on the playa and there’s so much to do, you’ll have a hard time keeping a frown on your face surrounded by that much awesome. If you go alone, maybe it’s because your chances of running in to someone you actually know are little to none because of how massive the city is, maybe it’s that alone that sets some people free… The fact that everyone they meet is a fresh slate, all of the same mind-set for the most part. You dove straight in to a community of all of your best friends… You just have to go meet them.

Where you walk down the road and people will call you in to their camps for a drink, to costume you, or dinner for absolutely no other reason than to have a conversation with you, and expect nothing back from you in exchange. Where you receive random acts of kindness and gifting from people and feel no obligation to return the favor, but instead you participate in the magic and pay it forward by showering random acts of kindness and gifting on others as you go about your day.

It’s a money-less society of people loving for the sake of loving, with the faith that their society is not going to let them down and disappoint them later if they are ever in need of anything.

It’s an incredibly large collection of artists, music lovers, nocturnal party animals, costumers, revelers, lovers, huggers, hippies, hoopers (+ so much more) and most importantly human beings who aren’t afraid to be themselves even if it means walking down the street in a tutu and duct tape because you feel like it.

It’s dancing till the sun comes up then retreating to shade to nap during the day. It’s bar hopping to bars with flame throwers and DJs abundant with a cup in hand and being able to ask for anything you want because that’s what they’re there to share with everyone.

Being able to see some of your favorite huge name DJs that go out to Burning Man to play… Larger camps that host these usually have schedules in the front available so you can plan to not miss your favorites. I even met and talked to Donald Glaude a couple of times at Burning Man… You really find out who some of the most down ass DJs are in the middle of the desert.

Radical self expression in all of its forms (on body, off body, musically, etc). It’s seeing massive art installations you would never otherwise get the chance to see and being breath taken by their beauty, intricacy, or sometimes just plain weirdness, being able to CLIMB those art pieces and look over the playa as lights go off, beats blast and burners dance… Watching spontaneous performances just because you end up being in the right place at the right time. Or being one of those spontaneous performers and lighting up your fire tools or bringing out your prop at an opportune time just because. For me, it’s going to be incredible to finally fire hoop on the playa this year… I can’t wait to experience that.

It’s being in the pitch black of the desert with nothing around you but lights from you or other people, parties, art cars and flames…  It’s living in a constant state of dusty from the moment you arrive till you leave and not minding… Maybe even enjoying it! It’s being pleasantly surprised by the dry heat that is the playa, and envying it because you live in Texas with humid heat (I am honestly more comfortable out there than in Texas a lot of the time). Biking or walking through dust storms and being extremely thankful for your goggles and face mask, or maybe even carrying extras to give to people you see who could use them.

It’s never wanting to go back to real life, but knowing you can return again next year. It’s shaking the dust out of your gear once you get home and having memories play in your head. It’s planning for your next burn all year from when you get home to when you return again because it’s just that awesome.

It’s the most free I have ever felt in my life and I am proud to call the playa my home for a week a year.