Nothing but dust, shitty little flags marking power and property lines, and us. We crack open the windows of the truck to try and get a few pictures taken before all those horrible hippies roll in, with their silly art cars and loud speakers, ruining what burning man really is for the limited few. I’m now part of the small group – the ones that can patronize everyone just because they got a couple more PTOs in, and decided to throw them away on drilling a couple more holes into plywood so as to justify their early arrival at this godforsaken land. No drugs for me, thanks, I’m just here to build and burn. You want to sleep under shade tomorrow morning? better bring up that shade structure. Want to have a place to crash during those lulls when it’s just too damn hot to do anything? Better pull those dusty couches out of the shipping container and under that shade you just put up. Want water? Should have freakin’ brought it with you. He raises his in-n-out cup and swigs once again from his root beer. “You guys haven’t been drinking anything, have you? You’re just a bunch of hard-asses, aren’t you?” I smile like a child and say “I didn’t bring any water. Thought we’d have it” and I can feel his cheeseburger trying to make its way up his throat so he could throw up all over me, just because I said something as stupid as that. Fridges are coolers with dusty ice. Lights are head-lamps. Evening attire has carabiners all over it so you don’t lose your shit in the dark. And when it’s dark all around and we’re all kinda settled under the shade we just put up, we can haul-ass over to First Camp for an impromptu hip hop party with people who were lucky enough (or unemployed enough) to be here even sooner than me. A beer keg ratchet-strapped to the back of someone’s truck, no cups. Bar serves Gin and juice…. at a hip hop party. Super dusty folk and a cool evening’s atmosphere is just what I came here for. They’re all around me now. As the music seeps into my conscience, I start bobbing my head to the beat, watching random people practicing their ability to dance, or lack thereof, out in the middle of nowhere. And it’s just so damn great to be out here again.