“So How was Burning Man?”
Every time I hear this question I seriously don’t know how to reply. It might sound cliché but the burn is something so unique and intense that unless you go and experience it yourself you won’t get it.
First of all: It’s NOT a Festival. People don’t go for the music or the acts or some workshop in particular. You attend music festivals, whilst at Burning Man you participate, share, create, you ARE the burn, not a spectator.
Upon my return at work one of my new colleagues introduced himself and went like: “I’ve heard you’ve been to the Burning Man Festival.. I know exactly how you feel.. I’ve been to Glastonbury once.”
No you don’t, fuck off. Now go tell a Syrian Refugee that you know exactly how they feel cause you played Call of Duty once, good luck with that.
Also, don’t say it’s shit and you’re happy you have never been because you clearly really wish you did and you couldn’t it’s full of influencers and ultra rich people. No, that doesn’t make it shit nor is a great way to safely say: “I don’t care about going” because no one gives a shit about Paris Hilton and other sparkle ponies there. The burn is huge and there’s so much going on that you really don’t get to see influencers, billionaires and other filthy rich posers and they surely do not ruin your burn just because they got there on a private jet and have A/C in their yurts.
It really is everything. The whole spectrum of human experience, all the emotions and feelings (good and bad), all at once. Hard to grasp? That’s what I mean by go yourself and then let me know. Most importantly it shows how people can live in harmony, give gifts to each other and that the concept of “strangers” is terribly wrong. Pretty much it slaps your face and makes you realise that we are all humans and we have all way more in common than our differences.
Is it really a life changing experience?
They say you get the burn you need, not the burn you want and it’s true. Somehow Burning Man shows you how to be more… you. It gives you that little push to really figure out what you want to do with your life, how you want to change it (if you do want to change it) and most importantly it rids you of all the super-ego dictated bullshit that always forced you to do what you’re supposed to do and be who you’re supposed to be rather than do what you always wanted and be the person you want to be, or at least do your best to get there. It gives you that: “I have one life, I am not chasing my dreams, let’s fucking do it now.” attitude.
Oh so what happened to you?
It made it way way easier upon my return to quit my job and get ready to go and travel the world as I always wanted. I’ve been pushing back this dream of mine for 5 years. I finally grew a pair and I’m off.
I’ve seen people getting engaged, married, breaking up, not going back to work and travel or move somewhere else. It just makes you more yourself and rids you of all the lies you tell yourself to stay in your comfort zone.
Obviously most of the above is my personal experience but it pretty much matches the ones of most of the people I’ve met there or that have been before.
What was your favourite bit?
Everything? Lol. Well I must say that Thursday/Friday was my favourite day (yes, it was a 48 hours day…). My camp threw an AMAZING Falafel Party on Thursday, we served Falafels to hundreds of people and had amazing Djs playing. Then I went to the playa to explore, went out and upon coming back to my camp we threw a Sunrise ribs party. The amazing Random Rab was playing music and the guys from the camp opposite ours who are mostly fire performers stopped by and performed in front of our camp.
So yeah, the sun was rising, we were giving away free ribs, the music was on point and we had fire performers celebrating the sunrise with us. Was very magic. I still get goosebumps if I think about it.
Speaking of my amazing, lovely camp and the beautiful humans I met there, here are some pictures. Enjoy:
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