10 September 2009

burning man 2009 full recap

so burning man was amazing. it blew me away. there was a lot of time spent thinking, meditating, coming to realizations about my life. i loved being cut off from phone and email without the stress of work, family, cleaning cat vomit, whatever. sure, i had time to play and drink and dance, but i also got the taste of ultimate, absolute freedom...the kind where you stretch your arms out with an amazingly huge smile, knowing that you can do whatever it is you want...

everyone has been asking me how it was. in a word: AMAZING. ASTONISHING. BRILLIANT. EVERYTHING I WANTED AND MORE. there were so lows, but mostly highs, and i can't even begin to tell you how much it changed my life.

here's a very, very high-level overview of just some of the things i did:
  • rode on pegs of some boy's bmx bike (have never done that before)
  • started liking tequila (in margaritas and also in the "jet fuel" served at one of my fave dancing and hooping spots, PleasAir)
  • spanky's wine bar
  • looked at the stars and planets with a boy with this powerful astronomy pen
  • chilled with old and new friends
  • lots and lots of hula hooping
  • lots and lots of trampoline jumping
  • diy workshop
  • did a labyrinth of lights
  • got counseling by two guys tripping on acid on relationship issues
  • ran the perimeter
  • ran the black rock city 5k (and placed second!)
  • let strangers take care of me
  • took care of strangers
  • female workshop
  • sangria slut social
  • librarian cocktail party
  • playa art
  • playa dust & duststorms
  • art cars
  • rode an incredibly steep enormous slide
  • got massage, gave massages
  • connected with friends
  • naughty colouring
  • more trampolines
  • dementha, mojitos, dancing, mint
  • buddha bunny
  • pink mammoth
  • wrote in temple
  • kostume kult's kostume dome
  • watermelon (so tasty in the hot dessert)
  • rock bottom
  • biked lots
  • had bike pedals fall off, bike troubles
  • had strangers help me fix my bike
  • biked around/wandered around in duststorm
  • pickle martinis
  • madonnathon
  • bad advice, lots of it
  • hot pink fake fur bikini w/ matching legwarmers
  • fall in love each and every moment
  • temple burn
  • packing, unpacking, traffic
  • nothing is awful, everything is wonderful, burning man makes life amazing

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Cherie! I decided to peek at your blog after reading your post on the BMan blog.

I'm thinking about the assertion you've made in several posts -- that being on the playa means being able to do whatever you want. For me, being a playa virgin in 2009, my expectations included that feeling, but it felt strange to discover I could NOT -- mainly when my wishes involved someone else.

Part of my journey was to camp with someone I'd been extremely close with 30 years ago -- but hadn't seen since. By email and phone we'd shared ideas of what it would be like to be together again, and at, of all places where anything seems possible, the playa.

But the reality was full of surprises -- some things disappointing but other things far beyond what I'd imagined. And once I forced myself to stop trying to have exactly what I wanted, I started to get the things that I really needed. Plus a few treats from the Universe for being a good sport : ).

I guess we are held back from our dreams and desires by what is inside us -- maybe as much as by what is OUTSIDE us.

And sometimes the greatest freedom is in knowing you have a choice. I debated "going commando" one night (with a sheer dress) and ultimately didn't. But I felt as free that night as if I HAD because I knew I had been able to do either one without fear or shame. Choices are such a gift, even if we can't always do exactly whatever we want.

Anonymous said...

If I only knew the right words.
If I only knew that there were right words.
If only I could jump through the hoop.
If only I knew there was a hoop.
Sometimes life is just too hard.
Sometimes maybe it is just us that make it that way
If…..