Being a Burning Man Virgin
Words come short when you try to describe what the Burning Man festival is. It’s not an event, but an experience. An exploration trip to the mind. So much is going on that your mind starts to dizzle. I always thought New York was the city that never sleeps. I was wrong: it’s Black Rock City. The adopted city in the Nevada desert.
Being a Burning Man virgin felt a bit akward. You really want to contribute more to this amazing community after a while. More than 50.000 people come together to celebrate the freedom of life, break boundaries and explore the beyond. It felt great to be part of this warm, happy community. No rules, no currency, no stress. If you ever need a break from everyday life, this is the place to go to! It clears your mind and fills it with inspiring thoughts.
Pictures may give a better view of Burning Man, but they too can only show a small part of what is going on. Forget about the naked and weird looking men & women you find googling BM, they’re just part of the new normal. People dress up (down) to inspire, not to shock. It brings people closer and starts conversations. Everybody talks to everybody, give compliments and share thoughts and gifts. Positiveness floats over the desert like a warm wind. It’s a free world out there.
You spend your day cruising by bike to the great art projects on the Playa while looking at the amazing Art Cars passing by. And attend workshops with a large variety of subjects: from Yoga classes to science lectures about neuro enhancement to getting the basics on bondage techniques. Enough to fill your day (and mind).
As soon as the sun sets behind the mountains, the open playa transfers into this mindblowing world with dancing colors. Making your head spin. It sometimes feels like you are hallucinating. The people and the art projects litteraly light up. Music sets in and hundreds of tents invite you to have a drink and dance. Till sunrise.
In short: it was a-ma-zing. Worth every while. Sharing my experience with Burning Man in a short blogpost like this might not give you the best idea to grasp the real-life experience. You have to live it. I can only invite you to go next year. It sure is a life turning point.
I even wonder what the world would be like if it were more like Burning Man …
