Yesterday, my friend Sam and I set out on a road trip that will ultimately take us to Black Rock City – a temporary city in the middle of Nevada’s desert. Diverse personalities gather every year for this week of free-flowing festivities and creative expression of art and individuality. More than that, it’s a place for people to come together in community and acceptance and to experience a plethora of lifestyles for one week out the year.

Since this is my first time going to Burning Man, I can’t yet give a first-hand account of what it’s like. I can talk about what I do know, and in just 10 days, I’ll finally be able to experience for myself what it’s all about. Over the next few days, I’m going to blog about what I think some of the central concepts surrounding Burning Man are, including love, art, money, and community values and our journey and preparations while driving across the country.