SAD: How do you get to Burning Man

How do you get to Burning Man

If you were to ask me the question "how do you get to Burning Man?" I could answer in a lot of ways, give travel directions, describe how I went each time or with a joke; such as "you tell me hippie." This is the story of one of the ways.

Too early in the morning won't have any meaning  tomorrow but right now it means startling to an alarm and beginning the day with a pounding heart after nowhere close to enough sleep.  I live a long way from my destination and across an international border.  I have all my lists checked off and everything is packed.  Tickets? Passport? Tickets? Passport?  It's a constant refrain running through my head, I pat the inside of my jacket as I repeat theses words sometimes out loud. Tickets? Passport?  I am going alone to a temporary city.  A place I went too last year for the first time.  Welcome "home" they will say when I arrive, as if I'm not leaving my own home to adventure into the desert.  Home is where the heart is and my heart is going to be in Black Rock City.  

Tickets? Passport? I call a cab, lug my bags to the porch and sit.  It's false dawn, so like 4:30am my flight leaves at 7am and security could take a long time, I'm going to Burning Man.  

Tickets? Passport? The good thing about living so far away is that people don't really know what Burning Man is around here.  So when the customs officer asks me where I'm going I don't really have to lie, "camping at an arts festival in Nevada" is very much the truth, but I practice anyway.  Now I'm looking at my phone 4:37am, "where is that cab?" Tickets? Passport?  My foot taps, I don't even notice.  I see the cab coming down the street, I exhale a breath I didn't know I was holding as I stand.  The cab stops and I load my gear, Tickets? Passport?

Getting my bags checked in is not the ordeal it could have been. Two carry ons and two checked bags means a little extra money but as much as possible comes with me. Tickets? Passport?  Next is security, piece of cake, I'm not bring liquid in my carry on after all, just camping gear and power tools.  Everyone travels with those on airplanes apparently.  At my airport I can clear customs before we get on the plane or into the US for that matter, it's kind of nice, local customs officers. The line is short, one person then me.  I'm not nervous, I'm not trying to hid anything. Tickets? Passport?  "Oh I'm going to Nevada, for a week long camping trip."  "At an arts festival." "I'll be staying at the Golden Nugget the first night."  "Thank you."  Easy

The rest is airports, find coffee/water/food/gate wait, Tickets? Passport?  Board the plane, try and sleep then find coffee/water/food/gate wait, Tickets? Passport?  I only have two flights on the way to Reno, it's three on the way home.  I'm practically there, well to Reno at least, it's a start.  Now it's about 1pm Reno time and we're 45 minutes from landing, I have been playing spot the Burner, someone with  hair that is green, pink or blue and I'm reasonably sure they are headed to the same place my non dyed hair is going.  It's not even a fun game on the way home.  The dust can't be removed well enough to be able sneak by. Tickets?

We touch down, Tickets?  My friends are going to be waiting for me, at the baggage carousel.   Coming out of the bathroom my phone rings, we're all here.  I can't feel the heat of the desert summer yet but I do see the slot machines and hear them chiming.  We've reloaded the two vans and are headed to get the last of the provisions and booze.  It's a mad house at the grocery store,  20 cashes open and 15  carts in each line. Everyone is excited and happy and almost no one is wearing a t-shirt and shorts.  I see some families shopping, I wish it didn't have to be so hard on them with all these extra people in here but at least we're all happy and friendly right now. Our bill is about $400, it's a lot but there are 6 of us and it's our booze and water as well.  One last stop at Denny's to load up on food and use the warm running water. 

It's 11pm now and we're getting excited, tired and excited! Tickets?  If you don't know the way all you have to do is follow the obvious busses, RV's, art cars etc.  We do know the way and will be following those vehicles into the night.  Along the I 80 take the exit for highway 447 and drive along it until you are stopped by traffic then follow the traffic.  It's dark we can't see much out the windows but are looking anyway at the desert, sage, mountains, nothing.  We are going slowly along the very dark road, there are so many other people driving on this two lane highway there is nothing to do except creep along.  I look out to the East and can see the beginning of dawn, I watch the sky and dream about riding my fat tire bike as fast as I can with the sun burning my face.  As each moment passes we can see more of the desert revealed through the windows, no one is asleep, we are quiet though, watching the dry vegetation, scanning the mountains, then there it is off and small but we can see it, "The Man" all lit up neon blue, arms down and his sides. Soon we pull off the highway into the desert we're now six long lines and we each find our tickets and are preparing to enter the gate.  We get stopped, show our tickets and get out and stretch as our van is searched for stowaways.  We are beside the other van they will be searched soon. we are elated, exhausted, exuberant and euphoric.  Less than a mile and we are stopped again we are welcomed with big smiles and hugs we are "home."