When I first came home, I was overwhelmed with emotion - feelings that we don't get to or let ourselves experience day to day…But let me say first, Burning Man is a beautiful and truly magical place.
Here's what I learned:
Positive, loving relationships with people are the only things that matter because they are the only things that make us truly happy.
If I have enough positivity I can defend against the negative. Being positive is about acknowledging the negative but not letting it get in the way.
Making other people feel good doesn't have to be a sacrifice.
I feel more free, more transparent. I lost my ego out there, and ego is what stands in the way.
Without daily worries and stresses I can learn really appreciate myself and other people. I am unbothered. And when that ice is broken, I can practice truly being myself, loving others more and being loved more. When I have practiced this even once, I know what it feels like, and I can go back to it.
A bit later, I came down from the clouds…
It's been a few weeks since I returned. I experienced what the world could be. While I was there I spent a lot of time trying to figure out why it isn't always that way at home. I realized that Burning Man is a precisely planned out study of ourselves and the worlds we live in. It is not the chaos of pure chance that some might think it to be.
Most importantly of all, when I did come home I learned how to appreciate my city and my life in it.
New York is overwhelming and crazy and busy, but when you least expect it you can always find what you're looking for. This city is so dense and has so much to offer, and we’re all here for different reasons. And that’s exactly what burning man felt like – there is always someone new to meet, even new flavors to eat, a new adventure to explore, and people will be open if you are.
