It’s the day before I leave for Burning Man and I can’t breathe. No, not because of the excitement of going to to my first Burning Man. Just a bad case of the common cold or flu that’s got me practically bedridden for three days now.
What a great way to go into the desert.
I have to admit I haven’t been as excited about Burning Man as I perhaps should be. I’ve been whining a lot. I’m pretty sure I spent less time and money prepping for many international trips than this, and to be honest I still don’t know what I’m in for.
I guess that’s what makes it special, the fact that until you get there, you don’t know what you are in for.
At our first camp meeting, I walked in late during the ice breaker question “what’s your intention this year?”
Intention? I looked around somewhat in confusion. Without any prior reference to go by, I said “no expectations, just to have fun!”
Then I heard the other answers. Well, I guess to the veterans, Burning Man is much more than having fun.
Out of all the answers these two stood out the most:
- Letting go, and knowing that where I am is exactly where I’m supposed to be
- Last year, it was about finding who I am. This year, it’s going to be about who I want to be
Wow, that’s some deep stuff.
Quite a few people have told me they were surprised I was going to Burning Man. They didn’t think I was the type. So is there a type? I’ve purposefully avoided reading articles about Burning Man, including the countless ones about bugs on the playa that struck me as ladened with schadenfreude. I really just want to go there and find out for myself what it’s like. As for the people, I’m lucky enough to join a camp with friends, people I know and like, people who are quite like me in some ways and different in others. After meeting the other camp members, I find the group to be quite diverse, maybe a lot more than my usual SF tech bubble circle. So I don’t know what people mean when they say “the type,” but so far I’m pretty happy with the company.
I still have no expectations. I like that. I did think about my intention. I like the idea of letting go. It’s something I’ve always had trouble with. But I also think that, where I am is exactly where I’m supposed to be. So if I can’t let go quite yet, it’s ok.
Looking forward to being sick in the desert.
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