Sofia's Burning Man Page

The Story

Since 1999 I have gone to Burning Man , a festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, five times. The festival lasts a week, and it is an incredible union of creative souls on this vast Earth. People come from all parts of the world to share their stories, their celebration of life, their uniqueness. It is a truly spectacular display of humanness, and over the years, I have come to many realizations about humanity from going to Burning Man.

This image was taken by one of thousands of photographers who come to Burning Man for the amazing photographic oportunities available. His name is Gregory Kugel. Like all true "burners" he is a contributor to the festival. The image at the top left hand corner of each of my pages was also taken at Burning Man, by a man named Julian. Here is another photo by Julian from that same day. It was my second year at the festival, and was I loving it!

One of the rules at the festival is that you must contribute, even if you only get dressed up in costume or make food for everybody around you, or barter, or take pictures. By the end of the festival, after all that sharing, everyone feels like they are part of a huge, open, family, a family that does not judge and embraces you as the incredibly special person you are.

Other people and groups I've played or camped significantly with at Burning Man are the people at The Powdered Wig Camp, Camp Wasabi and Flower of Life, among tons of others.

One more person out of 40,000 strong says *Thank You Burning Man!* For being a part of my life and bringing me closer to so many wonderful people!