Staging

Yes.

It is that time of year again.

Get out your dusty bins.

I’ve been quietly staging for a little while now.

A few things here.

A few things there.

Then suddenly.

I have a pile of stuff.

A new tent.

I will not be in the dust coffin I was in last year.

I donated that to an unsheltered man the day I came back from playa.

Good fucking riddance.

I had hopes of buying a camper trailer.

Once in a while I still flirt with the idea.

But.

I have not enough spaciousness in my financial bucket to really justify it.

Plus.

Like I would have to store it outside of San Francisco, cuz storing something like a trailer in San Francisco is idiocy and just burning money.

And I might be going to something burning in the desert, but I’m not in that much of a need to burn my dollars.

Because I am also going to be traveling before I go to Burning Man.

Yeah.

I said that.

I am taking a trip before I take a trip.

I’m heading to Mexico City with my man.

I am super excited.

I have never been.

I’m going to all the museums, the cafes, and the thrift stores, thank you very much.

Walking hand and hand down the esplanades in Roma Norte and eating some really good food.

We’ll be staying in the Roma Norte neighborhood on the suggestion of a good friend who has gone many times.

I got us tickets to the Frida Kahlo museum of Anthropology.

I also want to go see the Palacio de Bellas Artes, the Jumex Contemporary Art museum and MUAC.

I am an arty girl.

I don’t always know the names of the artists or the dates they live, but I know when I am moved and I love a good museum.

I also managed to wrangle a couple of good reservations at some restaurants, but left enough space for meanders, open air markets, street food, cafes, canoodling in the streets.

At least I hope there will be canoodling.

Giggles.

And then when I get back.

The prep will be on in high gear.

I will literally only have one weekend before I leave for the playa to prepare.

So.

The staging has to happen, now, now, now.

I have boxes to unbox–pop up carport with walls for shade, a travel hammock, and the aforementioned tent.

I have left them in their boxes because the cats like to claw things up and I do not want to ruin the integrity of a sealed tent with little cat claw marks and teeth.

No.

I want as much protection from the elements as I can possibly get.

I did up my tent game a little by getting the pop up carport with walls, extra shade.

I also did a run to Home Depot with my best friend, who patiently helped me gather the tools I needed to make sure I am drilled down into the playa.

No blowing away for me.

I am not good in stores like Home Depot or Ikea.

I get tharn like a rabbit in front of a car.

At one point my friend just said, “stay here,” and he ran and fetched while I stayed locked to the cart.

And honestly, even that was a little challenging to do.

I made it out alive and vowed to not go back for another ten years.

So.

I have a tent, shade, my gear from last year, a camp rocking chair, and all my bins of acutrement.

I have bought a bunch of bubbly water and sugar free soda options.

I have my favorite breakfast food and some of my favorite snacks stockpiled.

I will do grocery run at the Whole Foods in Reno and then hit the dust.

I have a early arrival pass–which comes with the commitment I have at my camp and means I will be helping them build camp.

I’m not great in a hardware store, but I can swing a hammer and carry a stack of stuff and I’m clever and organized, I’ll help out with the set up, hopefully also get out on the playa early to discover the art before the gates open and the masses pour in.

I also am planning on leaving a little early, I can’t get stuck in exodus traffic again like I did last year, that was rough.

I want to be back and unpacked and triple showered before I have to return to work.

I also, pats self on shoulder, am very happy that I sent out my vacation dates to all my clients, worked on helping clients rebook during the week that I am leaving–it will be a short week to facilitate me getting on playa early to work, and worked on accommodating clients on the flip side of the event when Labor Day hits.

I will be very busy with sessions right before and right after.

I’m excited.

It will be my first time taking my Jeep too, no more tiny Fiat and no trying to wrangle rides off the ride share board.

I still will never forget the virgin burner who picked me up in his convertible with the top down hideously packed, where on the spot I had to cull half my stuff to get it in his car.

And.

He told me as he blithely pulled out, the top’s broken, so we’ll be driving with it down.

What the fuck?

Through the Sierras.

At night.

That was one fucking cold drive, heater blasting the entire way.

Poor kid just about died when he hit the playa and suddenly realized what the dust was like.

I have no idea what happened to him, but I don’t think he’s gotten the dust out of his vehicle all these years later.

In reality I don’t have to do a whole lot more, except get my bike cleaned up, maybe add a few more lights to it, replace the handlebar tassles and pack my clothes.

If I put my mind to it, I can do it in a day.

This will be burn number 13.

Lucky 13.

I’m grateful to get to go.

My ticket and vehicle pass are at Will Call.

My work arrival pass in in my email waiting to be printed.

I need to do a little exploration of what my Jeep can carry, but I know it will all fall into place.

I wish my boyfriend was coming, but I know I will get to see my family of dusty choice and there will be plenty of adventures to be had.

And we’ll have Mexico City before I go.

Luckiest girl in the world.

I just need to get through the work week, put my head down a little, and strategically do a little at a time.

I got this.

See you in the dust!