Spending a week in the desert at Burning Man

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In 2008, I made a video about Burning Man in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. You can watch it at the bottom of this post, or use versions with interview subtitles in French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Irish and Esperanto.

I wrote this post before returning for a second visit of nine days. It is an archive of that plan, not a current event guide. Anyone preparing to attend should read the official current Survival Guide.

A note from the Fluent in 3 Months team before we get started: You can chat away with a native speaker for at least 15 minutes with the “Fluent in 3 Months” method. All it takes is 90 days. Tap this link to find out more.

Nine Days in the Black Rock Desert

On my 2008 visit, I had no internet, running water, restaurants, air conditioning, power outlets, mobile reception or shower. Vehicles were limited to about 8 km/h. I slept in a tent, but the temporary city felt unlike an ordinary camping trip.

At the time, the event brought roughly 50,000 people to the Black Rock Desert. Dust storms, rain, heat, cold nights and strong sun all required serious preparation. The site is about 1,190 m above sea level.

It was demanding, and I still found it great fun.

“Magically Delicious” Returns

I don’t keep a bucket list, but my first visit had been unlike anything else I had experienced. I was looking forward to seeing what a second visit would bring.

Two of the event’s principles are radical self-expression and radical self-reliance. It sometimes felt like a mixture of music and art festival, and it reminded me of Brazilian Carnival. It also functioned like a temporary city built by its participants. At the gate, volunteers welcomed me home.

For many participants, Burning Man’s principles extend beyond one week in the desert. Some people also use a different name during the event.

I didn’t have an event name at first. After I wore a leprechaun hat for a day, people called me Magically Delicious, after the advertising phrase associated with Lucky Charms cereal. I used the name during my return visit.

I travelled from San Francisco in an old yellow school bus, stayed at the Couchsurfing camp and cycled between camps on a green chopper-style pedal bike. I also helped at the Costco Soulmate Trading Outlet shown in the video.

I packed costumes, a cowboy hat, goggles and a face covering for the dust. The goggles that later appeared in some blog photographs were inspired by Burning Man. You can see when I bought them for 200 baht while getting by in Thai.

My costs included travel, a ticket, transport, a tent, a bicycle and other equipment. I bought many items second-hand and sold them afterwards. I had wrongly thought of the event as barter: its principle is unconditional gifting, not an exchange of equal value. On my first visit I failed to bring enough food and relied on camps sharing with me. That was unsafe and contrary to self-reliance; current attendees should bring what the official guide requires.

Alcohol and drugs were part of some people’s experience, though neither was my reason for attending. The art and costumes were strange enough on their own.

Culture Beyond a Nation

When I travel, meeting people and learning about culture are priorities for me. Learning a local language often helps me participate, but some communities form around a shared activity rather than one language or nation.

Culture can also grow among people from different backgrounds who share an experience. I found an international culture at Esperanto meetings and a professional culture at blogger conferences. Many Deaf people also share languages, norms and cultural traditions that are not defined by a nation.

That was what drew me to burner culture. The official principles of gifting and decommodification encouraged sharing without making it transactional. The dust and limited comforts made preparation essential, then shifted my attention towards participation and other people.

Afterwards, the first shower felt wonderful. My inbox and ordinary routines were waiting, but the event gave me a sense of reset.

The video below remains my record of that first visit.