Prepping for Burning Man

This weekend has been a flurry of activity as I prep for my journey to Burning Man. There's so much to think about: extreme temperatures, transportation, water (both how much to take and how to collect and carry grey water out), costumes, wind, dust, etc., etc.

I ended up buying a bunch of random clothing pieces at second-hand shops and stuff I found around the house to put together costumes out on the playa. This includes a black leather corset, a black suede jacket with red fur, a crazy green shawl/cape with fringe, wings, a headband with devil horns, a hideous tie-dyed swimsuit pullover, a huge St. Patrick's Day hat and all the Hawaiian garb we used for the Mud Run a few months back.

We went grocery shopping yesterday, and since we usually stay out of the middle aisles where all the preserved foods are, I was surprised when we started walking down those aisles to discover how much stuff does NOT need to be refrigerated. Cory set me up with a few basic meals, and then we bought bagels, peanut butter, crackers, fruit cups and the like to keep me going. I've heard that people aren't normally very hungry once they get there, so I'm sure I've totally overpacked on the food, but better overpacked than underpacked, I guess.

I picked up a second hand bike to ride around the playa. Cory was AWESOME this morning replacing the tube in one of the tires, lubing up the rusty chain and wiping the whole thing down. He told me to go slow and coast ... apparently the brakes work about 75% of the time. That's pretty good for $10.00. My favorite part of the bike is the tag attached to it that says it was confiscated by the Las Vegas police department. I am the proud owner of either a stolen or drug bust bike. Go team me!

Finally, there are all these little details to think about. I've stocked up on ear plugs and dust masks. We bought water bottles to mix up a vinegar water solution to combat the harsh playa dust. I'm using rebar to hold my tent and shade structure down in the wind. I've got goggles to protect my eyes in dust storms. Again ... I've probably overpacked, but I'm okay with that.

My favorite part of everything I've packed is a postcard Cory created for me to pass out as my bartering tool. It's a collage of photos he took this summer as we traveled around ... me as a Roads Scholar, him as my favorite travel buddy and photographer. It's a great postcard, and I'm so excited that, even though Cory isn't going to Burning Man with me, I'll be able to share his part of my journeys with other people.

So that's where things stand now. Today is a whirlwind of last minute details, and then tomorrow I take off! In less than a week the Man burns. I'll be back a week from tomorrow with yet another exciting travel adventure under my belt.

(I wrote a bit more about the Burning Man preparation at Kaleidoscopic Wandering. Check it out here.)

Burn, baby, burn ...

JoAnna