Front Yard Porch Camp

I think all the digital Burning is great.  But that doesn’t mean we should have ZERO in-person Playa experiences.  Even though large gatherings are a terrible idea, I’m of the mind that is possible to have responsible, socially-distanced interactions.
Which is why my partner and I decided to turn our front yard into a Theme Camp.
First we set up a storage unit’s worth of pink decor in our front yard.
Then I put this letter up on our fence and posted it on NextDoor.com:

“For the last 10 years, Pink Heart Camp has gifted iced cucumber water and vegan ice cream at Burning Man in the Black Rock Desert.

Most of our pink fur couches and gear is in storage in Nevada and our 100 campmates are spread out all over the world. But just because the physical event is cancelled, it doesn’t mean we can’t keep the spirit alive.

This “Front Yard Theme Camp” will be up for the week as a reminder to practice the 10 Principles of Burning Man, like “Civic Responsibility,” “Gifting” and “Radical Self Expression.”

We welcome safe, socially-distanced, sidewalk visits from neighbors and we’re happy to answer questions about Burning Man. Email me or say hello over the fence!”

The response has been INCREDIBLE.   So much love and positivity from neighbors and nearby Burners.  I’ve been Gifting water bottles filled with chilled cucumber water, stickers, and vegan ice cream.   Even beneath their masks, the smiles are beaming.

Above all, I have appreciated the excuse to fully express my Burner self in my default neighborhood.  After living here for 1.5 years, I’ve now met neighbors I’ve never spoken to before.   It was a little scary, initially.   Once I announced to the neighborhood that there is a weirdo living here, there would be no way to hide.   But Burning Man is all about pushing past our edges and stretching into who we can be in the world.  (Of course, the pink hair and pink motorhome probably tipped them off, already.)

Now I want to do Porch Camp more often.  I want to encourage local Burners to do the same.  We could do quarterly bike tours around the neighborhood to visit one another’s Porch Camps.  Who’s in!?!?

P.S.  There is still plenty of time to set up your Porch Camp for 2020!!! Let’s see what you got!

P.P.S.
There are NorCal and Florida Pink Heart Porch Camps, too!

Header image courtesy of Halcyon