Back from the Burn

Back to the real world. Sigh. Before going to Burning Man I was sick of people describing it to me. I even began to think I knew what the event was like. But as it says on the BM website, describing Burning Man really is like trying to describe color to a blind person.

It is a dream world. You can be anyone and you can do anything if you want to. It's a smorgasbord of fantasy, dance, drugs, and nudity. But in a positive way. You can guess what I did but it wasn't all of the above.

This was the most stressful holiday I've ever experienced. Getting to and from BM was a mission and a fucking half. It was expensive both financially and physically. I felt ruined by the end of it and was at my wits end thinking of starting a new job the day after coming back home. I went to work and it was better than expected. However, I found myself somewhat missing the dreamland I had lived in for a week. Non-stop parties, happy people, and the beautifully harsh environment of the Nevada desert.

You could wander out into the middle of nowhere in the night and look up at the sky. It hugged the earth in a wide arc and millions of stars winked cheerfully back at you. The first night of arriving there was a lunar eclipse. Cheers and whistles surrounded the area as the moon began to turn red. It stayed red for hours and I wanted to pluck it out of the sky and bounce it like a ball.

At first I didn't think Burning Man was for me. I felt out of place and I wasn't sure it was worth all the goddamn effort. The first couple of days I wandered around in half-awe and half is-this-it? mode.

Bf arrived a day after I did. I had read on the BM website that Burning Man is kind of a make or break place for relationships. It tried bf and me to our limits in some respects but I'm happy to say that in the end it didn't break us. In fact, we're probably stronger than ever now.

After the first couple of days, I was scorching hot in the daytime and only looked forward to the sweet relief of night. Then Thursday arrived. Bf and I went out amongst the dreamland of art cars and burners. We wandered around, I sniffed out a few Ozzies and some Brits, met loads of Americans, and had a fantastic night dancing in the Opulent Temple. I suddenly felt like I belonged. I had a sudden and strong affection for the Man that was finally returned and lit up.

Speaking of the Man, the poor guy was burned early. I saw it burning on Monday night a few hours after arriving. I wondered what all the flames and smoke in the air was but just thought it was a normal thing at BM since that's what happens there, right? They burn stuff. But some stupid arsonist threw gas on him and lit a match. Then got a hundred yards away before his friends ratted him out and the authorities slapped non-apparel use handcuffs on him. Spoke to a burner who is actually a fireman and he said that arsonists could face 12-99 years in jail. Bad move, no doubt.

So Burning Man isn't just for hippies. Apparently there are several types of burners: yuppies, fratboys, software/engineer guys, retirees, and some other ones. There are also some effing wealthy people who participate. Like Jack Nicholson. He was spotted on a bicycle by a girl I was camping with and a guy who freaked out, "Oh my god, it's Jack Nicholson!" Funny.

The music at BM is amazing. It is totally mouth-gasping, eye-bugging awesome. I think it's the pinnacle of every dj to play a set at BM no matter how short the time slot. Scumfrog, Basenektar, Rabbit in the Moon, Oakenfold, Christopher Lawrence, Gabriel & Dresden, and tons and tons more made an appearance. Completely golden. Such gritty breakbeats techno, thumping psytrance, and euphoric melodic trance. Drum and bass, classical, reggae, hip-hop, anything you want. Except country. Sorry folks, gotta go to either Tennessee or Tamworth for that stuff.

The rest of my time at Burning Man after Thursday was torn between good times and bad. But nothing compares to the sheer hell of leaving BM on Sunday afternoon. It took hours to get out. And money was thrown around again for a hotel, throwing a perfectly lovely tent out, and getting the dirty rental car back to the airport. Then panicking about leaving my phone in the dirty rental car but it was actually in my bag and had to go through security twice. Then leaving my ID on the plane and having to get special security clearance to go back and get it. The fun ceased to end!

But now that I'm back in the "real world" I find myself having a weird time adjusting. Sometimes whilst walking down Chicago's busy streets I'll find myself wondering "Where are all the hot pants and shirtcockers?" I was so used to half-nude people and the free-for-all lifestyle albeit for a short time that I find everyone just a bit prudish now. Things here are different. There are responsibilities. I have to work to eat instead of being gifted food. And you know what? I think that's okay. Because even though there are a lot of people at BM who aren't hippies, it is a bit hippie-ish and I'm not sure I belong in a hippie-ish free-for-all dreamland all the time, anyway.

So, bottom line: Am I going back next year? Probably not. I'm not sure I'm up for it again. But we'll see where I'm at in a year's time...