So another year has rolled around, and another Burning Man is in full, effervescent swing. Three years ago and it was ME out there in the Nevada Desert; utterly and inexplicably lost in the magic. A celebration of life, art, self-reliance, radical self expression and community – this has to be the most epic festival on earth.
Here’s a collection of my fragmented, but incredibly happy memories. An ode to Burning Man – one of my favorite and most monumental life experiences.
I see pictures of people. I note THAT look in their eyes, like they just unlocked a secret portal to another dimension. That look alone is enough to trigger a myriad of fantastical memories. They warm my soul.
That was ME, I felt that too. Dancing in the dust, feet stomping to some kind of bass. I felt it in my bones. Immersed in beats and connected to the music and the earth on some primeval level. Each stomp feeling so powerful and relevant. Dust rising, the wild woman in me stirring.
That was ME riding into the white nothingness of a dust storm, goggles on, scarf over mouth, head down in a hot blizzard and feeling like a future warrior – traveling over the dry surface of a once lush Earth.
It was ME gazing around in awe. Passing a 50ft ant farm, full of humans; a giant gramophone; a glowing butterfly made from a bus, a glorious illumination on the night skyline; and a fire-breathing dragon – like a viking boat, but on wheels. Azure blue skies by day. A million, billion neon lights by night. My soul is a rainbow.
ME, lost on acid and red wine; falling in love with a stranger; frolicking shamelessly on the Playa; gazing into each others dusty eyes and living in that exact moment. Loving in the most carefree way.
That was ME, drinking ‘chainsaw Margarita’s’ from a plastic cup and sharing ‘Hotdogs and Hurricanes with a coupla’ guys from NEW ORLEANS. Walking through a city of brilliant ideas and marvelous imagination. A celebration of creativity – the one true thing setting us apart from all other beings on earth. Humagination.
Me, under a 60ft screen. Oscillating, wildly. Cavorting to Fort Knox 5. Eyes filled with dazzling projections. Senses on overload. Retinas soaking it up, reflecting a million sparkling fracktacles of light. Brain struggling to comprehend the sheer scale of this awesomeness.
It was ME. Adventuring with my soulmate. Zebras for the night. ‘Borrowing’ bikes. Drinking Tequila. Wearing Tequila. BANG BANG. Glitter by the tonne, naughty. Gifting a thousand Mustaches, all made in a 30ft RV. Loving. Living. Together as one.
Me…and 50,0oo others, each with their own stories, dancing to the same beat. Sharing in this immense freedom and intensely pure vibe. Free from the realities of broken systems, incessant advertising, pressure, struggles and responsibilities. Watching the man burn, BURN. Electricity in the air. Emotions exploding in the sky. Wild in this freedom. FREEDOM to fall in love in an instant. WHO CARES? Be naked (if it makes you happy) and most importantly of all, share the moment.
Burning Man. Do it.
LOVE to all those who shared Burning Man 2010 with me. Epic adventures.
Some Wiki-Knowledge for ya: Burning Man is a week-long annual event held in the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada, in the United States. The event begins on the last Monday in August, and ends on the first Monday in September, which coincides with the American Labor Day holiday. The 2012 Burning Man Festival took place between August 27 and September 3. It takes its name from the ritual burning of a large wooden effigy on Saturday evening. The event is described as an experiment in community, art, radical self-expression, and radical self-reliance.[1][2][3][4] Burning Man is organized by Black Rock City, LLC. In 2010, 51,515 people attended Burning Man.[5] 2011 attendance was capped at 50,000 participants and the event sold out on July 24.[6] In April 2011, Larry Harvey announced that the organization had begun the process of transitioning management of the festival over to a new non-profit organization called the “Burning Man Project”.
