Tammy (Metanoia)

This will be my fourth sojourn out to the wilds of the Black Rock Desert and my partner’s (aka AleXander and/or Mr. SmartyFancyPants) tenth.

We’ve got our routine down and are even able to have our tent  up in about half an hour with next to no friction. We travel well together, both in life and to this magical, bizarre, chaotic place (living in New York keeps us in shape for what’s awaiting us in Black Rock City).

My partner, AleXander Hirka, is an amazingly talented visual artist and it’s been my privilege to collaborate with him on a variety of projects including three times for Burning Man. AleXander creates large scale photomontage work and I write a story that kind of goes along with both his work and whatever the theme is each year. We self publish my little books and make sure to bring lots of copies to put up next to his work at Center Camp.

In my “regular” life in New York I have a couple of part time rent jobs that allow me the flexibility to write fiction and the stability to roll with the rejections. I did have two stories published early this year and that's validating and wonderful and all (no pay, of course) but really I write because I can't not write. The real joy is getting to do it all with AleXander!

There are many things to get frustrated and aggravated about at Burning Man. There are many ways to get hurt and many opportunities to be uncomfortable and, oddly enough, that’s a big part of what I seek now when I head back out to the Black Rock desert. A life based solely on the pursuit of comfort (and I’m a big fan of being comfortable) is one that limps along, sleep walking and not noticing the good stuff. So for two weeks a year I deliberately walk away from comfort and Burning Man gets me completely, irrevocably, extraordinarily awake and alive and super ultra present in the moment.

And I’ll still be looking forward to that first glorious shower in Reno!