Why were you inspired to do this?

Friends of ours had shown us pictures and told stories of this magical event. There was no question that we were going with them the next time. It seemed so foreign and exciting. We knew the commitment was going to be huge and it did use up our vacation time for the year. The real inspiration was that it was a different type of trip and right up our alley.

What were 3 things you did to make this happen?

The Basics. Water. Food. Shade. Burning Man is often referred to as a place of extreme personal reliance. AKA survival. The days are hot, the nights cold. Sandstorms can last for an entire day and bring everything to a halt. If you run out of something, it’s OK because everyone shares supplies, but come prepared.

Fun Stuff. Burning Man is a festival about personal expression as well as survival. Costumes. Things to hand out. Things to make while your there. Your favorite music and loud speakers.

Open Mind. The biggest obstacle to overcome is leaving behind what you think of as the outside world and entering this new one fresh and with an open mind. It’s not hard to do because everyone and everything is in place to support your experience.

How did you feel once you had accomplished this?

Free, exhilarated. Coming back is perhaps the most interesting part. After being away from creature comforts and getting used to it, re-integrating back into society can be as intense as going to BM. A hot shower felt amazing. TV was weird. Urban anonymity became uncomfortable. I quickly realized how much advertising I was being fed, how many walls people have up around them, and that most people are in a rush for no reason. I also felt like I had traveled to Mars and witnessed the last 40 thousand people of Earth start a new civilization from scratch.