I've moved around a bit in my life, and I always grapple with the most often asked question of an expat... where are you from? To be honest, I don't know the answer to that question. Yes I was born in Australia, but all my formative years (and my most cherished years) were in Spain. It's also where my cultural values and my personality have felt most at home. Until just recently. This year I went to Burning Man; a dream of mine for a while. And for the first time ever, I truly understand the meaning of Home.
You probably think I'm out of my mind. But I'm not, I assure you. The thing is, citizens of Black Rock City are the most incredible humans I've met. They come from all over the place, transcend on the desert for 1 glorious week and make themselves at home in a city which celebrates freedom of expression, freedom of choice and freedom of love. There is no such thing as time or greed; all the things that make our normal society function. Here, your main goal is to express yourself, appreciate the expression of others, participate and give back to others. I can't tell you how much this experience reshaped my entire view of life. No words or photographs will ever do it justice.
Yes, it's confirmed. I'm a burner.
