The last official day of Burning Man. At 3pm, if you’re in Center Camp – you’re told Burning Man is officially closed and to go home, or start helping with clean up efforts.
The city is clearing out – there is more open space around you, and you can see the banks of porta-potties across the playa again. Most folks are either already on the road, or busily taking down their camp structures.
For us, we make one last trip to the remains of the Temple, to collect ashes to spread out to the world. We also help out friends who are encountering problems with their own exodus, and took town Chris’ Time Frame art project in Center Camp.
People try to re-cram in all the stuff they brought with them that is now covered in playa dust. It’s when you realize, that once again, you brought way more stuff than you could possibly use.
Too much water. Too much food. Too much booze. Too many costumes.
Not enough time.
Most of Camp Nomadia has left out at this point – however a good number of us with flexible schedules (like us nomads tend to have) opted to stay one more night. This helps with the exodus line to allow those who have to return to reality camp get there, allows us to completely clean the land that was our home for the week and allows us one more night to seal the bonds created in our outstanding community.
Monday is a day of both sadness and anticipation of the future. You see this city and community we built dissipating.. and wish it could be for 2 weeks, not one. With every car and RV that heads out to the gate, a sense of loss and longing is created for what is now heading down back down the road with a cloud of dust in the rear view mirror.
But there is also a realization that this is the temporary nature of Burning Man. It is that sense of longing that encourages each of us to bring this magic out into the default world. To give our gifts of passion, community, art and adaptability every day of our lives.
Living in a full state of Burning Man permanently is likely not sustainable for most. If you look at it instead as this week being a marinade for the rest of the year, you can however bring a little bit of it out into the world.
Once again, thank you for allowing us to visit Burning Man via your blog. It’s obvious how much this gathering means to the both of you. We are hoping that our travels find us there next year! =)
{{hugs}}
Great post that captures another personality of Burning Man.
We love the concept of the temple and leaving messages that are released into another dimension through fire. I’m looking at the keepsakes containing the ashes of so many wishes, regrets, thoughts, and prayers from temples past as I’m typing.
We will occasionally toss scraps of paper into a campfire with personal thoughts and notes to others that have passed on. Sort of a mini personal ceremony. It can be very powerful emotionally.
Jim