Burning Man - A Week of Radical Self Expression

'Burning Man is an Adult Playland', a 29-Hour a day party for a week; A Globally Charged Community in the desert of Northern Nevada.

'You can vacation in say Jamaica and see things that millions have seen before you and millions will see after you...Or you can trek yourself & stuff to BRC and see things that will only be available for one week to see'

Here is an interesting look back at what Burning Man has meant to me and the lessons I have learned each year...

2000 > 2001 > 2002 > 2003 > 2004 > 2005 > 2006 > 2007 > 2008 >  
2009 > 2010 > 2011 > 2012 > 2013  >  2014 >  2015 > 2016 > 2017 > 2018

2012 – Don't Have to be leading EVERYTHING
This will be my 13th trip to Black Rock City. It is not just the trip to the desert; it is the year-round events and the thousands of people I have met and now consider part of my family that make this the journey of a lifetime. I cannot image my life without Burning Man; major kudos to my life partner WildChild for keeping up with the pace.

Playa Lessons Learned…

• 2012 will be my 13th Burn & 11th serving as Camp Daddy, Benevolent Dictator of PolyParadise.

• I realize that if I am 'Leading' every event then no other person gets to be in the Spotlight; no one else gets to have the accolades, headaches and be a leader.  In 2012 there will be several events where I will be just a participant.  I will carry no radio, I will not be listed as Lead of anything - just a participant.

• It is good to face your demos every once in a while...

• I am in LOVE with Burning Man; of course I am in Love with myself but that is for another posting...

• There are many circles in my life right now; things coming back around and I find myself standing at the very same cross roads.  If I make the same decision I did before but it is with a different cast of characters; will the outcome by the same or different?  I am interested to find out.

  • The outcome was the same - The Fantasy was way better than the reality I never got.

• It is not the Playa unless you have at least one personal meltdown moment - It is not Burning Man if you do not have at least two meltdown moments when you return to the Default World - I am 2 for 2!

• Some Burning Man lessons do not come to you until you leave the Playa - This year they were front & center from Day 1 - Nice cause you get to play with them in your head for the whole week.

• Do not go to Burning Man with EXPECTATIONS!!

  • I should have realized that any expectations I may have had in going to Burning Man would not be fulfilled as we had Three (3)  BLOWOUTS with the truck on the way to the Playa...

What lessons did you learn from Burning Man & the Playa in 2012?