The Dolphin has been sold but that doesn't mean the adventures stop. Myself and my two friends Sarah and Maggie will be taking a week long road trip to Utah to explore some more national parks. We will be going to Zion national park, Bryce Canyon, and Arches National Park. The good news is we have AC in the car! The plan is to tent camp and to see as much as we can see in that week.
I have missed the Utah landscape and can't wait to get back there to explore some more. I will get to see the arches in Moab that I missed last summer due to road construction. I can't way to hike in Devil's Canyon at the back of the park.
Utah here we come!!
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Monday, January 19, 2015
Burning Man
Burning Man- a week long event in Black Rock City, NV for "radical self expression" ART
I had planned on going to Burning Man subconsciously almost my entire life. From the first time I heard about Burning Man ( as a child in the 90's) it seemed like this great adventure, a place where magic was real and people could just be themselves with no restraints. Throughout my teens I knew someday I would make a trip to the desert to see all it had to offer. I really starting planning on going to Burning Man for about 2 years. I knew I was going to go an epic road trip and it seemed like Burning Man would be the perfect close to it.
My desires to go to this place that is deemed uninhabitable grew in me until I knew that I couldn't not go. I did my research and read up on the precautions and rules and personal experiences of burners to prepare myself. I knew it would be hot, I knew it would be dusty, I knew it would be a lot of work but I also knew the rewards of going. No reading, no stories, no documentaries can prepare you for your experience on the playa.
The art culture that was built around Burning Man has stemmed to this bucketlist challenge and become something one just goes to to say that they have been. Many people my age, older and younger attend for drug experiences, to attend the largest rave. I can say that neither of those were my reasons. Again the reasons behind Burning Man is for the art itself.
I wanted to experience life, I wanted to see the art installations that are burnt and never seen in person again, I wanted to let go of my inhibitions and run wild in the desert and feel the hot sun on my back, feel the dust exfoliate my skin, really feel the dusty coat left covering my body, my mouth, my nose, and my eyes, I wanted to feel the energy of 70,000 people pouring their heart and soul into one week, I wanted to feel alive!
And alive I did feel.
I purchased our tickets through the official Burning Man site, the tickets sold out in 45 min, I did it! 2 tickets, Natalie and I were one step closer to Burning Man. Yes it's expensive ~$425 a person for entrance fees and parking fees for the entire week. You can arrive as early as Sunday and leave as late as the following Tuesday.
We planned on getting to Black Rock City on Monday morning. We picked up a friend's cousin along the way and drove through Nevada. Along the way we saw signs saying the gate was closed, and after looking it up online we saw that they had closed the entrance due to the rain. When it rains the playa dust becomes inoperable. You cannot drive, ride a bike, and barely even walk through the mud without becoming absolutely stuck and messing up the natural ground. We stopped in Fernley, NV at the Walmart to wait things out. We got some last minute supplies and then drove to a park to hang out at. We drove back to Walmart where tons of other Burners had gathered to wait. A community formed and someone made dinner and trinkets for everyone. The update on the gate was that it would open Tuesday and there were some 30,000 people waiting in line to get in. We stayed the night in the parking lot and woke at 3am to get in line for Burning Man. Luckily in the middle of the night the line had cleared and we had a smooth straight drive into Black Rock City with no wait.
At the front gate we got initiated since it was all of ours first burn. We made sand angels and rang a bell and chanted then danced around. We dropped our passenger off at his camp and made our way to our camp. We set up an Arabian style tent with plush cushions and sheers curtains. The theme this year was Caravansary. We then explored the city on our bikes. The week at Burning Man was spent going to planned events and even better finding random events. We started the week off with an Old Gregg- Baileys and Tutu party, we had a wine and Oreo pairing, and a twerkshop, and attended a lemon party. We had grilled cheese at midnight and found the traveling PB&J cart in deep playa. We looked at tons of art installations where we played and rested. We rode art cars to mysterious places and met amazingly beautiful people. I stayed up till the sun rose singing songs with strangers, and dancing to whatever music spoke to me. The people at burning man are some of the best people I've met, the conversations I had were on another level than I have had with some of my friends. The walls were down and everyone was inviting and accepting. I made friendships with people I may very well never see again, and that's ok. Burning man is about temporary beauty. We did a billion bunny march and a butterfly migration. We did so many strange and wonderful things, we did not hold ourselves back. I climbed tall towers to rid my fear of heights and woke early find donuts and pancakes. We also baked in the sun, thank goodness for SPF 100. We had dust in and on everything and tried to shower but we were immediately coated. Our hair was mudded into dreds. We woke up burning hot in a death
sweat. We literally experienced the elements: wind, rain, earth, and fire. It was miserable and beautiful all at the same time. We watched the temporary installations burn, the beautiful art that is only in memory and picture, and splinters left in workers hands. We did so much and I cannot even begin to explain how it has changed me. I can say I am a burner for life, I will try to attend as much as possible, and I will bring my children there some day to see the magic this place holds.
We were unable to stay to watch the temple burn, which we had heard was the most emotional and rewarding experience at burning man, but I will be back and I will see the temple burn, I will watch everyone's emotional baggage be turned to ash.
On the last day we were there we went out to watch the man burn. I could feel this energy in the air, tears of happiness running down my face in the dark. I did it, this was it, I had done everything I had set out to do this summer. I had my eyes opened to the world. I was so happy that I had accomplished my dream and knew that many more dreams will be met in the future. Watching the man burn was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. It represented everything and everyone that had tried to keep me from my dreams. They all burned to the ground. I was full. I was alive!
I had planned on going to Burning Man subconsciously almost my entire life. From the first time I heard about Burning Man ( as a child in the 90's) it seemed like this great adventure, a place where magic was real and people could just be themselves with no restraints. Throughout my teens I knew someday I would make a trip to the desert to see all it had to offer. I really starting planning on going to Burning Man for about 2 years. I knew I was going to go an epic road trip and it seemed like Burning Man would be the perfect close to it.
My desires to go to this place that is deemed uninhabitable grew in me until I knew that I couldn't not go. I did my research and read up on the precautions and rules and personal experiences of burners to prepare myself. I knew it would be hot, I knew it would be dusty, I knew it would be a lot of work but I also knew the rewards of going. No reading, no stories, no documentaries can prepare you for your experience on the playa.
The art culture that was built around Burning Man has stemmed to this bucketlist challenge and become something one just goes to to say that they have been. Many people my age, older and younger attend for drug experiences, to attend the largest rave. I can say that neither of those were my reasons. Again the reasons behind Burning Man is for the art itself.
I wanted to experience life, I wanted to see the art installations that are burnt and never seen in person again, I wanted to let go of my inhibitions and run wild in the desert and feel the hot sun on my back, feel the dust exfoliate my skin, really feel the dusty coat left covering my body, my mouth, my nose, and my eyes, I wanted to feel the energy of 70,000 people pouring their heart and soul into one week, I wanted to feel alive!
And alive I did feel.
I purchased our tickets through the official Burning Man site, the tickets sold out in 45 min, I did it! 2 tickets, Natalie and I were one step closer to Burning Man. Yes it's expensive ~$425 a person for entrance fees and parking fees for the entire week. You can arrive as early as Sunday and leave as late as the following Tuesday.
We planned on getting to Black Rock City on Monday morning. We picked up a friend's cousin along the way and drove through Nevada. Along the way we saw signs saying the gate was closed, and after looking it up online we saw that they had closed the entrance due to the rain. When it rains the playa dust becomes inoperable. You cannot drive, ride a bike, and barely even walk through the mud without becoming absolutely stuck and messing up the natural ground. We stopped in Fernley, NV at the Walmart to wait things out. We got some last minute supplies and then drove to a park to hang out at. We drove back to Walmart where tons of other Burners had gathered to wait. A community formed and someone made dinner and trinkets for everyone. The update on the gate was that it would open Tuesday and there were some 30,000 people waiting in line to get in. We stayed the night in the parking lot and woke at 3am to get in line for Burning Man. Luckily in the middle of the night the line had cleared and we had a smooth straight drive into Black Rock City with no wait.
 |
| Entering the Souk |
At the front gate we got initiated since it was all of ours first burn. We made sand angels and rang a bell and chanted then danced around. We dropped our passenger off at his camp and made our way to our camp. We set up an Arabian style tent with plush cushions and sheers curtains. The theme this year was Caravansary. We then explored the city on our bikes. The week at Burning Man was spent going to planned events and even better finding random events. We started the week off with an Old Gregg- Baileys and Tutu party, we had a wine and Oreo pairing, and a twerkshop, and attended a lemon party. We had grilled cheese at midnight and found the traveling PB&J cart in deep playa. We looked at tons of art installations where we played and rested. We rode art cars to mysterious places and met amazingly beautiful people. I stayed up till the sun rose singing songs with strangers, and dancing to whatever music spoke to me. The people at burning man are some of the best people I've met, the conversations I had were on another level than I have had with some of my friends. The walls were down and everyone was inviting and accepting. I made friendships with people I may very well never see again, and that's ok. Burning man is about temporary beauty. We did a billion bunny march and a butterfly migration. We did so many strange and wonderful things, we did not hold ourselves back. I climbed tall towers to rid my fear of heights and woke early find donuts and pancakes. We also baked in the sun, thank goodness for SPF 100. We had dust in and on everything and tried to shower but we were immediately coated. Our hair was mudded into dreds. We woke up burning hot in a death
 |
| Natalie angel resting on an art installation |
 |
| Alicia with the umbrella art installation |
 |
| Alicia and Natalie at the Billion Bunny March |
We were unable to stay to watch the temple burn, which we had heard was the most emotional and rewarding experience at burning man, but I will be back and I will see the temple burn, I will watch everyone's emotional baggage be turned to ash.
On the last day we were there we went out to watch the man burn. I could feel this energy in the air, tears of happiness running down my face in the dark. I did it, this was it, I had done everything I had set out to do this summer. I had my eyes opened to the world. I was so happy that I had accomplished my dream and knew that many more dreams will be met in the future. Watching the man burn was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. It represented everything and everyone that had tried to keep me from my dreams. They all burned to the ground. I was full. I was alive!
 |
| The man burning |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)