Seeing a double rainbow and then watching the moon rise over the playa as we approached Black Rock City for the first time.

Becoming aware of a newfound ability to wait patiently in line in an RV, inching forward, for hours. This is not in my nature and I found myself surrendering to this new pace.

First morning on the playa, walking to Center Camp with Onyx, Stilgar and Audree for an amazingly delicious cappuccino and some sweet live music.

My first solo walk towards the Man and the Temple (after that cup of coffee,) feeling the benevolence and sense of well-being alive on the playa.

Random hugs and warm eye contact with my sister Onyx that sustained and grounded me through the week.

Visits from Abbie Jean Moore from Utah and Gail and Emma from the UK. I so love these women.

Spontaneous hoopjams at the Spin Cycle camp at all hours of the day and night.

Listening to Phoenix After Buffalo in Center Camp and realizing I have a new music crush.

Climbing the Minaret (created by Bryan Tedrick) and feeling for the first time in many years the sweaty palms that result from taking risks. I love heights and I like flirting with the fear that accompanies the exhilaration.

Flirting with Choi while she filmed me hoopdancing.

Yummy fresh salads with Katherine made with avocado, spinach, green beans, crunchy dried kale, boiled eggs, and lots of salt and pepper.

Learning a new rhythm of flowing through the day, taking care of myself and being open to whatever happened.

Feeling good in extending myself, in sharing, in allowing myself to be generous without expecting anything in return.

Enjoying the beautiful bodies moving harmoniously around me.

Running into Brecken at Thunderdome and having her sum up the whole concept of Burning Man in a sentence. I would write it down except that I know that it wouldn't do it justice. You have to hear it from her directly.

Finding myself for the first time feeling completely comfortable in my body. Strange how one can feel so at home in such as physically hostile environment like the desert. Hair plaited and covered up. Smothered in sunblock. In a tutu. Yep. I felt completely at home.

Playing dress up with Katherine and trying to help her with her southern accent to go along with her big hair (the ratty blond wig that some one threw her way and that only she could make glamorous.)

Meeting a lot of new and beautiful people.

Random and meaningful conversations with people I've never met and will possibly never see again.

Hooping with Mani, eating brownies and goodies that Mani brought to share, and taking part in an amazingly delicious Mani-made dinner of pork tenderloin, "bruised" kale, polenta and garlic. This man has won my heart.

Witnessing a lovely and surprising improv performance from my friend Miss Rosie at Center Camp.

Dancing with Ken, Miss Rosie's husband, while he was dressed up like a geisha. I really like this man.

Getting to hang out with Matthais and Taylor and watching them sleepily snuggle at the end of the evening. I felt such a motherly love for the two of them.

Hooping with Katherine at random moments in random places.

Rocking out to Tropo, too tired to hold my hoop anymore, but still moving "in the hoop" as I stumbled around camp in some approximation of dance. Realizing I have a crush on the whole band, each and every one.

Eating playa dust trying to keep up with Vanessa as we cycled across the playa in search of more dance parties.

Periodically hearing Kenny bellow out, "YOU KIDS GET OFF OF MY LAWN!"

Dancing for several hours at the last Tropo jam, eye goggles and dust mask on, in a ferocious dust storm, only to realize at the end that the "dust storm" was actually all the accumulated dust on my googles and that the skies had been clear for at least part of the time. Still felt like a bad ass.

Hooping with Katherine yet again.

Watching Grant display some amazing hoop mastery with the twins after a night out as I drank coffee and appreciated the show.

The beautiful Sharai spinning effortlessly in the sun.

Sharing avocado and coffee with Spiral just after sunrise.

Getting escorted to another camp by Rich and Spiral in order to receive some special body painting. I'm going to paint myself more often. It really made a difference in how I danced and felt in my body.

Hooping with Katherine while we were silhouetted against a screen to Random Rab and later Lynx.

Meeting the very handsome Grasshopper for the first time.

Receiving the most incredible and generous invitation to ride in a plane over the playa, literally minutes after expressing to Sharai that I really, really hoped to do this very thing "one day." So much serendipity. I'm going to learn to skydive as a result of this.

Taking Baxter's shiny bicycle for a ride around the neighborhood, ringing the bell way more than necessary and standing up on the pedals. I felt like I was 8 again.

Breaking down camp with the most handsome construction crew I've ever worked with, all of us in variations of our underwear, flipflops, covered in playa dust so that we looked like Butoh dancers, to the accompaniment of someone's awesome playlist. Construction work was never this fun back in the '80s.