Burning Man needs no introduction. A total mind melt. After going through a filmmaking/film business phase, I transitioned into something else entirely, which eventually led me to this festival as I approached my mid-twenties. I was chasing all sorts of different experiences at that time: music festivals, nature, outdoor adventures, anything that yanked me in a positive direction. I’d been going to music festivals for a couple years and kept hearing about this one called Burning Man. It was a place to be whatever you wanted to be. Total freedom of expression. A peak into human potential. It would change my life. That it was like going home to hang with the most eclectic mix of people and experience a city built by the most creative people in the world. Only for it to be burnt to the ground a week later. A fitting metaphor for the ephemeral nature of experience seeking and why one must continually embrace the present. As raging dust storms pelt you in the deep playa and you wander upon a groovy techno bus parked next to one of the most thought-provoking art installations you’ve seen, costumed people moving and dancing to the beat, there may not be a better place on Earth to live in the moment. Did it “change my life”? Hard to say. But it’s fitting that the theme of the festival this year was Evolution, as I feel that I was going through a transition period in my life. This week showed me what could be possible and provided some of my most cherished memories.
