Inside Burning Man

 

Burning Man is an incredible, sacred event. This massive gathering held in a place called Black Rock City, in Nevada, and comes to life every summer. If you've heard about it, it should make you curious. If you've never been, it's unlike anything you've probably ever experienced.

 

While photos or explaining it are still not the same as experiencing it, in this episode I peel the curtain back to share my experience, how it works, and why you've really got to go. Full audio and transcript below, lmk any thoughts, questions, and what you think!

 

 

Inside Burning Man

 

(0:01 - 1:21)

Yo, let's talk Burning Man. If you've been thinking about Burning Man, I'll just cut right to it and you got to do it. You got to check it out.

It's amazing. It's a special thing, a special place, special event, special people, all this, all the special energy, tons of magic. What is Burning Man? Well, let me just take it right off the page here to describe it.

Burning Man is an event focused on community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance. It's been around for a while. It started, god, how far back did it start? Let's just check.

86 is when it started in San Fran by Larry Harvey and Jerry James. They're the builders of the first man. And the reason we call it Burning Man is because they have like an effigy of man built basically out of wood or similar.

(1:21 - 3:17)

And part of the celebration is to burn it. And there's a whole bunch of different principles that the event is based around and guide how the whole thing kind of functions and how everybody participates. So the event now is held in a place called Black Rock City.

And this is in Nevada. And it's held like late August. I think it's like last week of August, the first week of September, give or take.

And basically 80,000 people go to this place that is this dry lake bed. And everybody comes from all over the world to this place. And you have camps.

And camps are assigned. And every camp kind of organizes. And they come.

And each camp brings all their stuff and builds a camp, right? Builds a part of what is Black Rock City. So basically this whole city comes to life, like 80,000 people showing up. Builds this city in the middle of nowhere with nothing out there before everybody gets there.

And then this whole city is erected. And then once it's erected, everybody, you know, lives in the city for the week basically. And you know, you explore and engage and connect and all of the things.

(3:18 - 3:53)

And then at the end, the whole city is taken down. And one of the principles is leave no trace. So like there's nothing there to begin with.

And there needs to be absolutely nothing there afterwards, right? So it's quite a thing. And it's based on, yes, art and expression and connection and all kinds of stuff. So here's the principles, the 10 principles of Burning Man.

(3:55 - 6:07)

Radical inclusion, gifting, decommodification, radical self-reliance, radical self-expression, communal effort, civic responsibility, leaving no trace, as I said, participation, and immediacy. So short of just like dropping into like each of these principles in like this huge depth, I guess, because you know, they all require a bit of explanation. You can check them out at burningman.org. And this is the spot to, you know, learn all kinds of stuff about this event.

And, you know, and dive deeper, right? On like how it I can give you, you know, perspective of the things that may or may not be, you know, on that page or elsewhere. So, you know, it's a spectacular place. Like when we got there, I drove from Vancouver to Black Rock, Black Rock City.

It's like a long drive. I think it was like a few days to get there. And not because I'm just like deadheading it, right? But I'm enjoying the adventure and the drive and all that.

And I also wanted to have my truck so that I could really bring like everything I could possibly imagine needing. One of my favorite of the principles not to have preference, but that's really stuck with me is the concept of radical self-reliance. And it was one that I was and had been really embracing in my journey previously.

(6:10 - 9:28)

Which is this concept of like having everything, you know, you could possibly need. Meaning, you know, being prepared for all circumstances for yourself, you know, anticipating your world, like being ready for anything, operating, you know, independently if required, this kind of stuff. And basically the premise is, you know, we're all going out to the desert and the elements are not, you know, easy.

It's super hot out there. You're in the desert. You're not like, you know, sitting next to a coconut tree and a McDonald's or whatever your preferences and, you know, in the ocean and all this.

Like it's a harsh environment, right? So it's challenging in that respect. And so to participate in that, you need to be prepared. So what do you need to prepare? Well, everything you possibly think of, right? And the premise off of that is that if everybody operates that way, then from that, you can help others, right? Like invariably someone might forget something or need something or something they brought, you know, broke or like any of this kind of stuff, right? Like life's still going to happen.

But if we all show up from a place of having like a full bucket of what we need or what we feel that we need, then we can help others from that place. We can participate. We can enter into that participation, you know, I'll just say fully generally and efficiently, effectively.

There's a whole bunch of words I could use. And I tend to operate that way anyways. Like as I'm recording this, I'm out for a walk.

I've got my backpack and I'm, you know, I've got everything in my backpack that I feel I could possibly need at the moment, right? Or for the day. And I usually roll that way because I don't like relying on others to do things, to have things, to, you know, advance my day. I have certain like nutritional needs and preferences and, you know, comforts and whatever it is, like those are mine.

So I don't go places and just hope they're there, you know. If I go to an event and there's no food that I can eat, like, what do you do? I need to eat, you know. So it's from that kind of place that, you know, Radical Self-Reliance, you know, it emerges in my interpretation of it.

(9:28 - 9:52)

So you come to this place, everybody comes to this place ready to embrace the principles and participate, right, in creating the city. So you load up all your stuff and, you know, you roll over and there's different ways to get there. You could drive there.

(9:54 - 11:54)

There's like an airport actually there. There's cities nearby, you can fly to those cities and then you can drive from there. So it's not such a long drive.

But I'm a bit of a road tripper also, you know, I like road trips. So I, you know, I did the big trek and it was awesome. And so then how it works is, you know, build week.

So the first week of, you know, essentially like kind of arrival at the location outside of the organizers of, you know, the volunteers and others of, you know, the Burning Man organization that, you know, hold the space for the event. You know, they like set up kind of some basics and all that sort of stuff that all sorts of stuff that's appropriate for the event for it to go well. Is build week, right? So this is like where the camp, you know, organizers arrive, start arriving, like a bunch of like gear, equipment, like whatever they're bringing for whatever their concept is for their camp, you know, shows up and volunteers, meaning people, right, campers who are going to build the camp and you get a week, basically several days to do it.

So you bring all your stuff in and you get to work, right? So when I first got there, it was like landing on the moon. It was just unreal. There's like really nothing there.

(11:54 - 14:37)

There's just like this kind of expansive, you know, desert flatland landscape. It just felt like the moon and it was beautiful, right? And just as expansiveness, big skies and, you know, like, you know, far looking horizon and stuff was very cool. And so every camp basically they've got a location and they've got a theme that they're going to, you know, they've conceptualized for their camp and then, you know, everybody gets to work.

So there's different types of camps. I don't think I'm fully clear on what all the different camps are, but the camp I stayed with, with Playa Alchemist, they're awesome. Like it was really great, you know, opportunity.

I feel when you go to Burning Man, for me, I had an opportunity years ago or years prior to going and it wasn't totally clear and it would have, I'm sure, still been a great time. And the friend who invited me was awesome and it would have been, you know, great. I'm sure, but there's something that just didn't fully align yet.

And so when it aligned this time, it felt like the portal was open. There was a lot of signals and symbols and stuff that were speaking to me that reinforced the synchronicity of the opportunity, right? And so I was like, yeah, okay, I'm in. Like this is the time.

And the Playa Alchemist fam are like well-organized. They're very talented people, creative people, qualified, accomplished people. And it's a lot of people.

The camp was about 250 people and it's a sound camp. So they are part of the kind of experience in a way that they offer, you know, music and similar other forms of, you know, expression, entertainment to the Playa. And the Playa is what we call the, you know, the place where we are, right? There's the open desert space.

(14:39 - 17:57)

And so their vision is a massive pyramid. And it's like, I don't know how many stories, but I'm going to say like six, seven, eight, like it's up there. It's huge.

Probably fits, this is all back of a napkin stuff, but like, I know probably fits like 500 people in it maybe. It's a huge thing. And so to build something like that and the whole camp to, you know, host and help you know, hold space for all the campers that are coming, right? Everybody, you know, rolls down and everyone contributes to the camp in different ways.

But like to hold that container of a camp space for everyone has a whole bunch of different considerations to offer a sound like that. And you know, music and things is a major logistical undertaking, all kinds of stuff. So they're awesome.

Big love to the Playa Alchemist family, which has grown and continues to grow. And everybody who's a part of it, I have a lot of time for it. It's a special thing.

So, you know, you get there and like you just start participating and contributing to the vision. There's a plan and there's a roadmap on what they're doing. And there's a lot of equipment and tools and, you know, it's not all like laborious in that respect.

There's other sorts of things to, you know, set up and create. So, you know, it doesn't really matter necessarily your physicality or like, you know, kind of like hands on strength or your experience with tools. There's just there's a lot of work to do, right? So you find where you can contribute.

And over the course of this week, I mean, you're getting to know your, you know, your fellow burners who were there helping build camp and others are at other camps. And so everybody's building this stuff at the same time. And like, it's super fun.

I mean, it's part of the experience, right? You don't have to go for Build Week, but I did and I thought it was like taking in the full experience. If you go for Build Week, you do get the luxury of showing up earlier, right? Where there aren't huge lineups, because on the day that everybody goes, basically like the first day, getting in is just like insane. I mean, people wait for hours and hours and hours, 8, 9, 12 hours plus, I think, to get in through the gates all at the same time, you know? So you got to remember, like everyone coming in is bringing their all their equipment, you know, their gear, their RVs, like all kinds of stuff.

(17:57 - 24:24)

So like clearing everybody through, it's a bit, you know, more complex, right? So it's quite an undertaking. And so that's the thing, the kind of, if you can, you know, try and avoid it. Anyways, I feel I'm not a big lineup guy.

But hey, whatever, it's part of the experience too. So, you know, you're in it, right? But anyways, so we build this whole thing. So we build this massive pyramid with all this like, you know, like lifts and tools and like kind of prefab material that we brought in and all this stuff.

Stuff that's brought in, in sea cans. And you know, all this stuff is, you know, pulled together, pulled out of the cans and then and then built. And the camp comes to life, right? So there's like a build of energy through this as it happens.

Because as it's coming to life, people are, you know, they're happy to be there. They're excited to be there. They're looking forward to the burn, the week, you know, the burn, when generally speaking, like everything's built.

And, you know, new people are showing up every day from all over the place, you're meeting new people. So it's a whole vibe. It's not just labor.

It's like a whole vibe. And that's part of the experience, right? So that was amazing. And, you know, we built it all.

And by the time it starts, like, the energy is just awesome. And so at the center of Burning Man, basically, you have this like huge, you know, kind of horseshoe, right? In this, I guess it's like a hexagon. Is it the shape? Pentagon, maybe? What's the what's the shape? I don't know.

I'm not really like a, you know, geometry wizard. But I can't remember. But anyways, it's like this huge space that's been kind of outlined for the space.

And then within it, you've got the camps in this like, general horseshoe, I'm sure, probably understating the shape, there's probably deeper logic to the shape than it is and why and whatnot. And then in the middle, there's the effigy, right, of the man, it's this massive, you know, person. It started as Burning Man, it's just like, you know, there's no redeeming features of the statue that would identify it uniquely as a man.

But man, in the human sense, in the humanity sense, is in the middle of this whole thing. And so with every camp, some do it in different ways. And some camps do more.

And some camps, I think, you know, offer things and in different scales of ways. But basically, for the week of the burn, there's just all kinds of stuff going on all over the place. I'm not really a watch wearer.

And it may be helpful in a place like that. Right? But I didn't. And that's okay for me, because I just believe when I'm at an event like that, I'm in a place like that, that I'm right where I'm supposed to be wherever I am.

It's hard, right? Because you don't have self service, you're not. It's not about having your phone, working and being on the phone all day. It's about being present.

Right? And, you know, and participating in the magic of that presence that we all participate in, you know, exploring and engaging with the people and and events and locations of the city, right? So like all these different camps have like created something to bring, to offer to the community. And so when the burn starts, like that's like game on. And there's all things going on all day.

And there's all kinds of things going on all night. And so to get around because it's quite big, you have a bike, which you need to bring, which is, you know, basically whatever kind of bike. I think there's some like, electric assist, you know, possibilities there.

But generally speaking, you know, consider it like a beach cruiser, you know, and that's your transportation around the city for the burn. So lots of riding. And at night, so that everybody can see each other.

Everybody's in various forms of like LED, you know, neon lights, right? So you drape out your your bike and that and everything, you know, has the various lights all over them. So you can find your way around. And of course, the camps are lit up.

And, you know, after sunset, the whole city takes on a completely different shape, right? And a different kind of energy and, and so on. And, you know, it goes all night, right? And lots of sunrise nights and, you know, where you're still up and you're listening to the music and taking in the amazing, you know, talent, DJs and other forms of artists and, and sculptures and all kinds of stuff that are there. You know, and the sunrise comes up, like over the desert, just phenomenal.

(24:25 - 27:09)

They're just gorgeous. And, you know, to that, like there's, there's so much art out there. So it's, you know, radical expression, right? So, you know, there's sculptures built, there's different sorts of like art, kind of exhibit type locations all over the place that are set up by teams that have been, you know, generally, I believe, pre approved to do so and given locations that are scattered all the way around and throughout the playa, which, which gives you like tons of stuff to go explore and check out stuff.

So it makes the desert this huge artistic playground. And then radical expression also pertains to, you know, your dress and how you participate in your style and, and like, you know, Burning Man fashion, really, which is just like very dynamic, expressive, interpretive, all kinds of stuff. So everybody's really open, because you're expressing yourself through those choices.

And that creates a whole other, you know, energy associated with that, right? I think it removes a lot of inhibitions and encourages connection and openness and all this. So that's going on. And then this whole thing is happening.

And I just found there's just tons and tons of magic if this was going on, right? I just felt the whole time I was everywhere I was supposed to be, you know, I'd run into friends, and then I'd kind of lose track of friends. And then we'd reconnect when we were meant to and at different times, and we would, you know, have our kind of locations and places that worked and, and didn't to communicate, like we had like a dry erase board at our tent, an example with a couple of friends of mine, and we'd leave notes for each other on that, because we couldn't text each other because we didn't have any service out there, right? So, you know, we had to be innovative that way. And you're just coming and going and flowing, like all the time, right? And then a function of the camp, like there are different volunteer time slots, and everybody would pitch in to different elements of helping the camp, and supporting the camp and helping, you know, everything run smoothly.

(27:10 - 30:34)

And all kinds of different ways we did that. And so this is what's going on, like all day, and all night, and for like eight days, I believe it is. And it's, it's just really incredible.

I once worked at Club Med in the Bahamas. And, you know, when I was going to this thing, I wasn't really sure what to expect, other than what you think. But I'll tell you right now, like, the photos you've seen haven't done it justice, they don't do it justice, like videos you see still don't, you know, like show you the the experience, they show you what's going on visually.

But there's so much going on, like, experientially, both in yourself and in your environment, when you're there in positive ways. Generally, I feel, and that's really hard to, you know, to communicate through these medium, it's something that, you know, you have to experience to understand, I feel. But that said, as Bern was starting to take shape, and I'm like feeling into this thing and exploring and like learning how it, how it really works, and what's going on.

It brought me back to those times when I worked at Club Med, it was a similar type of vibe. There were all these people that like, you work with, that, you know, you get to know pretty well. And that's kind of like your your crew, your people, right.

And then from there, there's all these other people that are coming and going and, and you know, you're all engaging with them also. And so there's this like, growing familiarity with the people we work with, and then this growing discovery of new people that are like passing through and by. And you're also not like restricted to your camp, of course, the whole, the whole play is your playground.

But these different forms of like, you know, familiarity would, would deepen, right? As you would see, you know, people more often, because they're staying where you're staying, that kind of a thing. And so I felt like I continued to get stronger in the experience and open up to it more and more, as it was, as it was happening, because it felt familiar to me. And it's, it's sweet, because one of the things, you know, people say when you get to Burning Man is welcome home, right? It's a, it's a cool, it's a cool thing.

And ultimately, you discover your burner name, and for you, you know, your name on the playa. And, you know, it opens up that way. So it felt like home for me.

And I was like, Oh, yeah, I know this place. I've experienced this type of experience in some respects before. And that helped me in, in that environment, just really, I felt just deepen into it, grow into it and thrive in it.

(30:35 - 31:33)

And I was also sober. And this is a thing about, you know, drugs and whatever, that event and, and, and I am sober, right? If you've listened to my sober podcast episode, and I was sober there, also. And there's some question of whether like, that's easy to do or not to do some people, whatever.

You know, for me, I'm comfortable in my sobriety. I'm very, like, deeply centered, I feel in myself, no matter my environment. So with those general, like personal values, and, and, you know, and preferences, I just never, it wasn't even a question for me of whether I felt any, you know, personal concern being out there, but there's certainly things out there.

(31:35 - 32:08)

And so for my space, I just tried to help support others and hold space for them if they were, you know, feeling different emotional states, highs and lows, or whatever, from, you know, long days or nights or, you know, whatever they might have been experimenting with. Because as you know, look, festivals are a thing. This is not a festival, as we say, it's a gathering.

(32:09 - 34:38)

It is different than a typical festival. But at gatherings like this of, you know, art and music and camping and these types of intersections, we know that no matter which one it is, or where it is, that things that are present, socially, generally, you know, meet us there, and join us there. And that would include certain substances, right? Those are part of our world.

And if you don't recognize that they're reasonably easily accessible anywhere in the world, at this point, in 2023, then I would suggest to you, your head's probably still on the sand, and I suggest that with love. But it is the reality I would suggest. So it is what it is.

And no matter where you are, whether you're at the Bern or anywhere else, you know, the choice of what you choose to do is up to you. And no one can make those choices for you, per se. Granted, you know, there are laws, with respect to various things.

And, you know, whether you're adhering to the law or breaking them is up to you to evaluate and choose, I guess, without rabbit holing into that topic and energy for too, too long. It's just to say, right. So stuff is present.

It's, you know, it's clear that there's things that are out there. And at the same time, there's a huge psychedelic movement, which probably warrants its own podcast episode at one point, that has a lot of interesting reinforcing data in some areas, particularly like psilocybin, that suggests there could be strong positive correlations between usage and mental health, right? Particularly alleviating symptoms of depression and anxiety. For reference, I believe that's a John Hopkins study, and you can look that up, which is one that many point to, with respect to those findings.

(34:40 - 37:51)

But this experience is not all about that. So all I'm doing is kind of putting a bit of a footnote here to say, yeah, it's present, and it's not required. And there's so much magic there.

And so many cool things going on that my bucket was full, I didn't feel pressured, I didn't feel like I needed to, I didn't feel like nobody pressured me to, you know, it wasn't like a required element, like none of this stuff, you know, it was just participation. And I was, you know, invited and welcomed and space was held for me equally as a participant. So, you know, if people wonder about that, if you're wondering about that, stuff like that is the truth.

And, and that is the truth of my experience. So it was, it was amazing. And I just enjoyed the flow.

I enjoyed the art. I enjoyed the connection of people. Our camp had live music.

It had incredible DJs from all over the world. And I'm a huge fan of Deep House. And so it was just Deep House in at Burning Man is just like, it's like Mecca.

I wondered where this whole Deep House scene took off to. I couldn't find it for like a while. I thought I was like, where'd everybody go? Am I the only one who still loves this stuff? And then I got there.

It's like, oh my god, this music's amazing. And, you know, our camp was one of the, you know, facilitators of hosting those artists. So that was amazing.

During the day was yoga and, and talks and like roundtables and all this and various topics, you know, philosophy and various forms of thought leadership and stuff, which was exceptional. And this type of energy is just, you know, kind of swirling all over the burn and the whole weeks like that. So there's so much to discover and experience and, you know, people to see and connect with and, you know, see again, meet for the first time, like all this kind of stuff.

So it was just huge magic. And then on the other side, on the other side, so when you get towards the end of the burn, I mean, there's, there's two major kind of landmarks in the whole thing. There is the man, and there is the temple and the temple.

And anyone can correct my description of the temple, as you see fit. But the temple is like, quite like an honoring place. It's a place where people come to, you know, just take a moment to, to pause, to ponder, to honor, to, to release, you know, to set intentions like it's, it's quite a sacred place in the community.

(37:52 - 39:56)

And all of that energy is present there. And so many things are, you know, like added to the temple over the week, people come and spend time there. And it's, it's, it's a sacred space.

And so the first thing is that on the Saturday night, the, you know, tail end of the burn, it's a great celebration, big Saturday night, we burn the man. And that is just a major kind of climactic event of, of the whole experience, right, which is, you know, creating it and burning it down, right? You know, creation and destruction, and that whole, the whole energy. So everybody gathers around on this massive, like wide circle, obviously around this huge, you know, effigy of the man.

And then we all watch it, you know, start and then burn and, you know, there's fireworks around it, all kinds of stuff. This is awesome. It's a huge, huge energy.

Right. And then, you know, it's a big celebration. I mean, the whole week's a celebration, but it's a particular like pinnacle of the celebration because the whole week of energy ramps up to this part of the event.

And then on the Sunday, if I'm remembering correctly, the Sunday was then the temple burn. And the energy is totally different. Like Sunday is a sacred day.

And, you know, various ways, shapes and forms. I mean, I'm spiritual, not religious. And it's still a sacred day for me and that I honor my Sundays and, you know, take my time with them and enjoy my, my, my space and, you know, ground and organize all these types of things.

(39:59 - 40:23)

And so there's a siren goes by, just giving that a beep. So then the temple burn is just, it's just a different energy. I just remember this moment where like, we're all in this huge circle, everyone's seated around the temple again, like a very wide space because you're burning this temple.

(40:24 - 42:12)

And, you know, during the burn, everyone's quiet. Where during the burning of the man, it's, it's much more festive, you know, Saturday night kind of energy. The burning of the temple is just sacred, right? People have, you know, brought messages from loved ones that are, you know, present or past, included their intentions, things they want to release, you know, personal baggage, demons, you know, past relationships, like things they're letting go of, like it's just a different energy.

So it's very sacred, right? So everyone's just quiet as we watch the, the temple burn and we release these things. And I remember just one moment. It was just so, so poignant where someone howled.

And then this howl, everyone kind of started to howl, like in unison, just rippled all the way around the circle of everyone that was around the temple. This huge, like, just, just so powerful. You know, just like this.

What's the word for it? I mean, it was just deep. It was so simple and so deep, right? Like as, as everybody kind of just does it and it ripples through like a wave when you're at a sporting event, right? And, uh, and, you know, when you do the wave and everyone stands up and the wave goes through, it had that same ripple energetically. You could just see it and hear it.

(42:12 - 50:59)

It just kind of rolled through everybody. And then everybody just dropped again to silence. We could just hear a pin drop and it's just, you know, the crackling of the wood and the fire and watching the temple burn.

It's just so powerful. And then, you know, that night's a little bit more tame, right? And we're on the other side of the burn and then we're into strike, which is starting the next day. And that is, um, that's the takedown of everything.

And there's a number of days that are given for everyone to, to strike, to take everything you've built and take it down and leave no trace. And they check, right? They'd scan every camp location after, and you get a report card on whether, you know, you did good or bad with your, with your, um, with your cleanup. And, uh, you know, that's the kind of green lights, whether you're going to be able to keep rolling or not, or, you know, where you're going to be potentially the next, uh, burn, um, if you'll be able to, you know, set up camp the next one, like it's a big, big thing.

Right. And that's everything that's from like litter to, you know, a screw that's in the sand, that's all kinds of stuff. So, um, so we have this huge cleanup process until everything's repacked up and everything's gone, everything's taken out.

And then there's various forms once everyone leaves of like, uh, an afterburn of sorts where people kind of go to decompress after. Um, some people had to Reno, some people had to Tahoe, um, people had to all kinds of different places just to kind of get the normal again, because you are definitely, um, coated and covered in, um, the dust from the playa cause that sticks and gets in everything. It's just like really fine powder of sorts.

And, uh, you know, depending where your camp is, you may or may not have had a shower and days and, um, all the good stuff that comes with, you know, camping type experience. Right. So, um, so I took off to Reno and hotel room and proper shower and like, you know, a good bed and all those types of things.

And, uh, you can go wherever, but yeah, then you kind of decompress and, um, you take it all in and there's so much more to it really, uh, to get into the weeds of, um, but not trying to take up too, too much time and try and, you know, encompass all of it, but the things to recognize are, it is a super, super magical place that so many incredible things happen there, um, that are really, uh, good for growth and awareness, perspective, uh, inspiration, um, adventure, you know, and the fulfillment of same, like all this kind of stuff. And, um, and that on the whole, that if you go, I feel you will greatly appreciate the experience and having gone. Um, it all depends what kind of experience you're going to have, who you go with and similar, but you can buy tickets, you know, each year they're hard to get, uh, when ticket, when tickets open, um, to be purchased and you can, you know, stay where you see fit.

The other way to get in to this is to, uh, be introduced to or line up with a camp as the camp will likely have tickets, uh, that they can then, um, sort you out with to become a part of that camp. And, um, you know, you can try and align with the camp that is about, you know, things that you're into your beliefs, your values, like these types of things, right. Um, you know, ply alchemist, a lot of inspiration of alchemy, um, you know, which is, uh, uh, in the realm of metaphysics, all this, which I'm all about and, um, and, you know, personal growth and, and all this sort of stuff.

So get me into alchemy on another day, but, um, you know, another episode, but, uh, you know, it felt very much aligned. And so it was a great spot for me to experience this. And I look forward to going again when the opens for me to be there again.

And, uh, I'm watching and waiting. And when it does, then I'm in, um, but so that's a real great way to get into the mix, right. Of it and to, uh, and to get in there.

And then as you do and you're preparing, you know, definitely like explore what the theme is. Every, uh, burn has a different theme. So as you kind of plan your, you know, your, uh, your, um, burn fashion of sorts, your expression and what you're going to wear and things that, um, you are, uh, you're generally on theme.

You want to kind of think about that, uh, certainly where you're staying in camp, any special events that they have and, you know, special requests of like certain things you want to wear at certain times and you got, you know, uh, and similar. So you want to kind of explore all that. However, you're going to get there.

You definitely want to make sure that you embrace the self-reliant element of the burn and that you, uh, bring everything you can. So driving is, I feel ideal. It's also a super fun road trip.

So, um, you know, if you have a reliable vehicle, uh, it's definitely a way to make sure you have enough room to bring all the things you need, uh, so that, you know, you got everything. You really want to have everything. You don't want to get out there and not have enough.

You don't want to have, you know, not enough water or food or whatever, right? Like you really, you need all this stuff. So, um, driving it all in yourself is probably the way I'll always do it. Um, well then I just know I've got all my things, right? And that's one of the big things.

So, um, so there's that. And then as you go, like, just, just participate, you know, be open and meet people and check things out and really go with the flow. I'm a big, you know, flow state guy, go with the flow with whatever is, um, is guiding you, like just follow the open pathway to the thing and the next thing and, and, and ride that.

And if you need to ground, there's places to kind of find a quiet place to ground quietly, take a little space for yourself, you know, take a break, relax, have a nap kind of thing, rest, you know, um, find those places for yourself within it all. So you can recenter, um, or really just, just roll with it. Don't go into kind of restrictive on like everything you want to do every day, just really let it organically happen.

And when you do that, you know, you'll connect with incredible people and experiences and learn things and, um, and see things and more. And you're going to come out on the other side of all that, probably a little tired because it's a lot, you know, it's full on, right. Um, but, you know, with a, with a full bucket of magic, um, that you can, you know, take with you from it, right.

(51:00 - 54:15)

And new connections and experiences that you'll never forget. Right. So, um, this is some of Burning Man.

This is some of my, uh, vibe and experience with Burning Man. If you're curious, uh, my burning, uh, my burner name is, uh, Tumbleweed. And my friends called me Tumbleweed.

Uh, I thought they might maybe name me something arguably a little bit sexier or, uh, you know, whatever, but they figured out what my name was because they'd always ask, they're like, where's Chad? And then all of a sudden they just see me go by like from a distance, near distance, a far distance, whatever. But whenever they looked for me, they'd see me just kind of flowing by. And with my kind of long hair and all this stuff, they just got this vibe that I was like a Tumbleweed, like tumbling through the desert, you know, or the old Western town kind of thing.

So that's my burning name. So I want to know what yours is or what it will be. Uh, but you know, this episode largely for those who have never, uh, done it before, um, heard about it, curious about it, all those things, you know, put it on the list.

You got to do it. And, uh, you know, if you want to do it, let me know and I'll try and help you get connected with, uh, people and similar that are in alignment with, uh, with your own personal interests and who you are and, um, those types of affinities, you know, so that we give, you know, all the best intentions for your experience to be, uh, you know, as great as it can possibly be. You know, they say at the burn, you don't get the burn you want, you get the burn you require, which means it's like, uh, you know, a real, um, uh, significant experience, um, for personal growth.

Right. And, uh, you know, it's, it's a great, uh, cathartic experience for many people. So, um, trust that trust that the universe provides and will provide for you in alignment with your greatest and highest good in this magical place and space and container that is held, which is the burn and, uh, open to it, trust it, embrace it, and, um, just, just have an amazing time.

I want to hear all about it or, uh, better yet, I'll see you out there. If you want to continue connecting with me, you can check out all of my links below, drop me a line, say what's up, let me know what you thought about this episode or any questions you have and, uh, until the next one, wishing you an amazing day. We'll talk to you soon.