The After Burn Report

by Tilio Lagatta, an EO Reno Tahoe member and managing partner at Blackfire Real Estate

How can you summarize something you can’t fully understand without experiencing it yourself?

Burning Man is an annual event hosted by EO Reno Tahoe. Each year about 70,000 people from around the world come together to help build Black Rock City, a city where thousands of art installations are erected over seven square miles of desert. At the end of the week, everyone leaves without a trace like the city never existed. Only their memories, photos and new friends are proof that it wasn’t just a dream.

Each person has a different take-away value each year. Not only does it depend on what they want to get out of it, but also what “the playa” determines they need. “Playadipity” is what Burners will so affectionately call this. Playadipity is mourning the loss of a life and celebrating the beginning of a couple’s new life at the exact same time, serving as a friendly reminder that creation and destruction are but two sides of the same coin.

Burning Man is only something that can be experienced. Words, photos and videos don’t do it justice. How can you describe the moment you embraced a stranger at the Temple in the middle of a whiteout dust storm and then parted ways without exchanging words? It’s utterly indescribable, as were many other moments on the playa. The best thing to do is keep it short and sweet:

We created a community. We collaborated for months. We built a camp for eighty people. We participated. We shared. We gifted. We included. We crafted cocktails. We ate lobster. We self-expressed. We danced. We celebrated. We reflected. We mourned. We bonded. We hugged. We made new friends. We saw art. We survived dust storms. We survived hailstorms. We embraced the burns. We laughed. We cried. We had a blast and we will remember these moments for the rest of our lives.

Burning Man is greater than I could have ever imagined. Some day, I want to live in a world with the community, creativity and camaraderie of the Burning Man culture. I want to live in a place that is devoted to acts of gift giving where nothing is expected in return; a place with such incredible generosity that it completely renews your faith in humanity.

Much like EO members and business owners, dEOxidized built a community. We brought together men and woman with diverse backgrounds from around the world, and placed them in an unfamiliar environment that is one of the harshest yet inexplicably inviting places that you’ll ever visit. We watched them work together. Much like a Forum mate, fellow board member, or key employee, we learned to rely on and trust one another. It was amazing to see how much dEOxidizers inspired one another to learn, grow and connect with others. We were able to share experiences and create new ones. On the playa, we left without a trace. Off the playa, we’re making our mark.