By Jim Urquhart
Photographer Jim Urquhart poses at Temple of Juno at Burning Man. Photo courtesy of Brian Erzen
As I write this I am sitting in my little camping trailer the morning after completing my Burning Man 2012 coverage. I am exhausted, a bit dehydrated, sore, my hair has become matted like dreadlocks from the combination of sweat and fine dust and I reek so horribly of body odor that I can make the sense of shame blush. But I am so aware of myself, I am alive and thriving. This is why I love what I do and the opportunities and experiences that it makes possible.
Okay, maybe not so aware of myself (I just fell asleep with my finger on the tab button after writing that first paragraph).
This was my second year covering the event and I really wanted to let go and participate more in the experience. Last year I was a Playa virgin made worse by also being working media. This year I was no veteran in the dust but I was more tuned in with what was happening around me.
I decided first and foremost I wanted to let myself go deeper into the experience of being a burner. Burning Man is an event that demands your participation. Just entering the gates this year I watched virgin burners being made to roll in the dirt, mounted and humped over their clothes by greeters. The dusty, middle-aged couple will now have that sacred memory to pass on to their loved ones. I myself was made to get out of my vehicle and asked how many times I had been to the burn.
