This is my 9^th Burning Man; I started coming in 2013. It’s incredible how much it has changed and evolved in that time. I love seeing all the technology and engineering advances every year. In my time it has gone from more fire and flashlights to LEDs with rainbow and color everywhere.

I drove in on Sunday, my first time driving in. Logistically, it’s been smooth so far regarding access to power and water, and of course, I set up a Starlink. ☺️ It’s also been a Goldilocks year with the weather and wind.

I swear this will be my last Burn with Micro-USB, which I consider my personal nemesis. Ultimate Ears has finally upgraded their Booms to USB-C (thank you Hanneke!) but Micro USB came back to bite me unexpectedly this year.

Burning Man is heaven for photographers; the dust makes everything look dramatic. I wanted to return to my “PhotoMatt” roots and shoot this year, so I resurrected back my big camera, a Nikon D5, and I’ve gotten some incredible shots. Burning Man has a principle of Radical Self Reliance, which I tried to practice, but the XQD reader I brought isn’t working. The D5 has a USB port you can connect to, but it’s the one I consider the most cursed of all USB ports: Micro USB B Data.

No one likes that connector.

People often ask me what Burning Man is like, it’s hard to answer because it’s very much “choose your own adventure.” People can and do have radically different experiences. For me, this year has had highlights that included seeing the most amazing whirling dervish with live music, talking to people coding visualizations on art pieces, and doing dishes! This year I’m camping with Maxa and my work shifts are with the kitchen team. Maxa is legendary for the love and care they put into food, so it’s been amazing to see the effort that goes into making meals for 100+ people three times a day in extreme conditions. As you can imagine, this generates a lot of dishes and I’ve made it a personal goal to be the best dishwasher ever, scrubbing every nook and cranny while trying to conserve water.

If I can get a cable or card reader to download photos, I’ll post them on my Tumblr, so keep an eye out for updates.