My Experience at Burning Man: It's Not Just About Music

<p>Hi!</p>
<p>This is the promised post about my recent trip to Burning Man (or rather, the beginning of a series of posts).</p>
<p>I want to start by debunking a myth: many think that Burning Man is a music festival. However, those who attend it (especially regularly) might take offense at that. To give you a heads up, it quickly becomes clear why from the inside. Throughout my more than two weeks of participation, the musical component was just a small part of everything happening. So what is Burning Man really? Some call it a playground or a 'Disneyland' for adults. Others see it as a city where people are free from bias and prejudice. Personally, I lean towards the definition that Burning Man is a social experiment.</p>
<p>Now, to the story. Burning Man began its existence in 1986 when Larry Harvey and Jerry James decided to build and burn an eight-foot figure of a man on Baker Beach in San Francisco. It was far from the scale of the modern event, but that was when the first spark was ignited. The first Burning Man gathered only 35 participants. However, the following year, the number of participants grew to 80, then to 200, 300, and so it continued to today’s 80,000. Now, the maximum number of participants is limited by the authorities to 87,000 people.</p>
<p>Today, every year, the desert transforms into a giant city for a week, complete with its own streets, airport, art installations, dining halls, baths, hospital, rangers, and much more. And after this week, the city disappears without a trace, leaving the desert in its pristine state. Before coming to Burning Man, I studied a lot of materials about it, but the reality exceeded all expectations. It is indeed a HUGE city, and it’s amazing to see how much effort people put into creating something so temporary.</p>
<p>In the next post, I will talk about the ten principles of Burning Man that underpin this unique culture and how these principles reflect in 'everyday life.'</p>
<p>1/n</p>
<p>P.S. Some of the photos and videos will not be mine</p>
<p>#burning_man #freedom #humanity #philosophy</p>