Burning Man 2017 - 2

Today I met up with one of my camp mates from Burning Man and we went and had coffee. I noticed that his nail polish was still on his nails, chipping away just like mine. I always paint my nails at Burning Man and then I let the polish stay on until it disappears, another way to hang onto Burning Man for me. I have already started thinking about and planning for next year.....it will be here sooner than I think because times flies by. Even if it doesn't feel like it sometimes.

Here are some random pics from the Playa.....
When I was at Center Camp a stranger gave me this, she said it is a mixture of several essential oils. Thank You!



My iced latte. Note the sticker on the espresso machine.
Work free drug place - I like that.



I went to a Swedish party.



An example of MOOP. Which in Burning Man lingo stands for Matter Out of Place. Burning Man is about Leave No Trace. You bring everything out that you brought in, at least attempt to. I don't litter in general so the whole Leave No Trace definitely resonates with me. Burning Man advises against feathers, people bring in stuff made with feathers anyways.



I like this photo.



Sunset.



Two of my fave places were missing at this year's Burning Man. Planet Earth and White Ocean. That is probably where I spend majority of my time dancing the past years. But they are taking a break. I know Planet Earth is coming back next year, I am not sure about White Ocean.
Some of the Planet Earth people built a very impressive indoor place called Red Herring. I spent some time in there.



Robot Heart.



DJ stuff, I like DJ stuff.



Me.



I can't believe this year's Burning Man is over.....it is always weird to get back to real life after this experience. And look at all the pics, feel all nostalgic and sad.....like NOOOOOO it IS OVER!!!
I still feel like I am in a fog. If you think it is because I did too many drugs, because supposedly all that people do at Burning Man is get fucked up (some seem to think) then you are mistaken. I was completely sober the whole time, not even a drop of alcohol. I have enjoyed a cold beer or a drink at previous Burns, this year nothing. But next year I might indulge in something to enhance my experience a bit....

Biking around the Playa is usually great. Unless you are cold and have a distance to go still or if you get caught up in a dust storm and get dust in your eyes. This year the weather was PERFECT. Sure, hot during the day but nice at night and very little dust. I was probably the cleanest I have been at the five Burning Mans I have attended. I did not get super dusty.
My first two Burns I was in awe and everything was WOW. I remember taking a bunch of photos of the bikes, well I am kind of used to the bikes and most of it by now. I only took three pics total of bikes this year and here they are.....
These parked outside Center Camp were nice.



And these were cute.





Felt so happy when I got on my bike again, biking around Black Rock City and the Playa is the best exercise ever.



This was around 8 am, been up all night. Here I was trying to find Robot Heart. The very elusive Robot Heart. The really fun and interesting people come out after Midnight and stay up until the music stops and that is after sunrise, we all need rest at some point.

If you have never been to Burning Man you might hear the people that have talk about that it is life changing, eye opening, amazing, emotional etc etc. You can't describe the experience fully to somebody that has never been, you have to go to get it. Some people go and don't like it (the ones that can't deal with a broken fingernail, messed up hair, dust, heat and feeling "dirty" for example).
Sure there are those that go only to get fucked up or get pics for their Instagram (in my opinion a complete waste but perhaps they get something deeper out of the experience anyways). Then the rest really do make some sort of a connection with their soul and that what is Burning Man.
You can't explain it but somehow the Playa delivers, always. You get messages, and make connections that somehow make sense. Not always of course but some really do.
My first night I came across this art piece shrine that was called "The Shrine Of Lost Moments" (I believe, I did not note down the name of it but I am almost sure).

"In December 2016, a tragic attack hit near one of the memorial places in Berlin at Gedächtniskirche (Church of Memory in the center of the city). A man drove a heavy lorry into the crowded Christmas market. This incident (which happened near to most of us living in Berlin) inspired us to develop the Shrine of Lost Moments as an art project at Burning Man 2017. The visitor of the shrine is encouraged to interact and engage: he or she takes a colored piece of cardboard ... and writes a name, life period, situation they want to remember, embrace, or eliminate from their lives."











There were 270 pieces of art installation on the Playa this year. I did not see all, there are a few that I wish I would had seen now that I see the pics of them in the news.

This year I arrived at Black Rock City about a day later than I usually do and left a day earlier. So I basically lost two days plus at Burning Man which for ME is a big deal. Burning Man happens once a year and is about a week long, I want to be there for as much of it as I can. So of course it was disappointing (actually VERY disappointing) to have to cut back on precious Burning Man time. A lesson was learned, do not go to Burning Man (share RV like I did this time) with people who have travel plans that infringe on my Burning Man time. Some people are OK with just a few days at Burning Man, I am NOT.....I want to make the most of it.
I thought I was clear about this but I guess not, I did not think I would have to cut back on my time that much, had I known I would had found somebody else to share the RV with, somebody on the same page as me. Therefore this time really did go by much faster than usual, before I knew it it was over. And when it is over you really FEEL that it is over and you know that there is a whole year until next time, if you are lucky enough to go next year. A lot has to fall in place. Kind of sucks but it is what it is......
So after we found a place to park the RV.....I found a camp called Grateful Floyd where we stayed, good location and good people, I got out my bandanas and wrapped them around my face and hair and headed for Center Camp, always my first stop.



Got caught up in a heavy white out dust storm on the way to Center Camp, the dust and wind ripped through the Playa. I had to stop moving for a few minutes because I could not see anything. But then I got to Center Camp and sat down with that first iced latte.



After Center Camp I delivered three pairs of crutches to one of the medical stations....the reason I brought crutches to Burning Man is because they asked if anyone was willing to help out.





My goal the first day was the delivery of the crutches, that latte at Center Camp and a visit to the Temple to put up these pics of George Michael and Chester Bennington that we all know recently passed. To me, it was very sad that these two talented (and according to multiple sources kind and caring as well) people left too early. I can only speak for myself but I got affected by their passing and it made me sad, I wish they were still here. I thought that George and Chester should be in the Temple this year. And so they were. I looked up at the sky at night and wondered if they were out there somewhere....



I also biked around and took in some of the art out on the Playa and this year's Man of course before I called it a night.

Well.....I am back from Burning Man now and this year it really did go by in a blink of an eye. It always feels a bit unreal and weird to be back in "reality" after Burning Man. I need to catch up on sleep, unpack, clean my stuff and do laundry and ADJUST. So I will be back here with more about this year's Burning Man after I take care of that.....
Here I am on my way to my first shift as a barista at Center Camp Cafe, I volunteered this year.