There is nothing better than creating ~ playa magic ~ for strangers who least expect it. We’d take the cart out to our favorite art installations out in quiet, remote parts of the playa, and serve anyone who happened to wander nearby. The surprise and delight on people’s faces — I live for it! I especially love serving other South Asians — without fail, their response is, “oh wow, this is REAL chai!” (Shoutout to Jaipur Avenue, the only chai mix I’ve found that tastes like my family’s recipe!)
Some other highlights:
Seeing live music! I saw live orchestras on four separate occasions. I also saw a brass band, and a solo violinist. These are just regular folks who brought their instruments to the desert to play for free. It was really incredible. I skipped almost all the electronic music this year!
Quality time with my loved ones. Getting to spend long stretches of time with some of my closest friends was such a gift. Phil and I worked really well as a team on chai cart operations, and had lots of sweet silly moments together.
One of my favorite things about Burning Man is that every art installation, workshop, bit, concert, or food offering you encounter — no matter how tiny or how organized — was brought out to the playa by regular people who just wanted to create a certain kind of experience for others. All labors of love, like our little chai cart. It’s really astounding to see so many passion projects gathered in one place. This year, I felt especially grateful for the folks who are out there, behind the scenes, creating magic for others.
Photo credits: Kayley Hake, Michael Kebbekus, Nicole Sweeney, Phil Reyneri, Jasmin Pamukcu.
