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Burning Man Virgin Guide
Burning Man Virgin Guide 3648 1846 Keir Alexa

Burning Man is just around the corner! Several “virgins” are asking for advice on their trip to Burning Man. This is only my fourth year attending Burning Man, so I am definitely not an expert. However my boyfriend has been going 11 years and I have learned quickly from him. I hope I can provide some helpful tips to any newcomers that are coming this year.

A lot of the people that talk to me about Burning Man truly do not understand the depth of the philosophy.

This is not just a party. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to just wing it like other festivals such as Coachella. There may be the few people that will manage to wing it and have a blast. However, it’s important to be prepared to have the best possible experience.

Planning is essential, not just being prepared mentally and physically but, for some spiritually.

Burning Man is a magical fantasy world that makes you feel like you are dreaming. You can feel as if you left earth and are on a different planet. Out of all the experiences and places I have to been to in the world, I hold Burning Man is one of the most life changing experiences, utterly mind blowing.

The most important thing to do before you even decided to go to Burning Man is simply read through the website. Make sure you read the 10 principles of Burning Man and be willing to abide by them completely. There are tons of tips for beginners. Learn the history by watching a documentary called SPARK 

Here are some other tips:

1. Burning Man is a Leave No Trace event- Never throw your trash, not even glitter, on the ground and if you ever see any trash make sure to pick it up and throw it away. Take some time during your trip whether it is 30 mins here and there to walk around cleaning up MOOP (Matter out of place). Basically, be mindful of how your actions impact the environment.

2. Sleeping arrangements- There are many different options depending on your budget as well as how adventurous you want to be. You can either decide to sleep in a tent or rent an RV. Some Burners sleep in their cars or even at center camp. I personally like to sleep in an RV with a hot shower, air conditioning and a comfy bed.

3. Transportation around the playa- make sure you bring a bicycle so you can get around. Most people don’t realize this, according to the site, Burning Man covers 5 square miles . It is really, really big! You should definitely decorate your bike because you can imagine if 60,000 people attend Burning Man then there are a lot of bikes. Decorating your bike will help you spot yours easily. Also, make sure to write your name and camp location on the bike incase you misplace it and someone else finds it.

4. Survival gear- You need to bring a camelback to the playa and carry it around with you wherever you go. It is really hot out there so you need to constantly be drinking water to stay hydrated. Inside your camelback you should keep an array of supplies including:

· Goggles for sand storms
· Dust masks
· Toilet paper-single ply for the portable potties
· Small flashlight for night
· Energy snacks/ protein bars
· Sunscreen
· Chap stick
· Hand sanitizer
· Lotion
· Lights for your bike
· Water-each person needs to account for 1.5 gallons of water per day for drinking
· Mini First Aid kit

5. Your body- One of the best things about Burning Man is the fact that you get to dress up in costumes or if you want, not wear anything at all! During the day I like to wear minimal clothing because it is really sunny, hot and sweaty. At night, it gets so cold that you feel like you are in the mountains during the winter so its important to bring warm clothing such as leggings and a big faux fur jacket. It is also very crucial that you light yourself up at night by either wearing a light up outfit, or glow sticks. You can easily purchase light up gear on Amazon HERE.

If you have any other questions on Burning Man, please feel free to email me or if I forgot something you can add it to the comments below! I hope to see you on the playa!!!
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Free Fallin: 8 Minutes in Zero Gravity
Free Fallin: 8 Minutes in Zero Gravity 5760 3840 Keir Alexa

Have you ever wondered how movies that take place in outer space, like the classic Apollo 13, are filmed? How do they simulate floating around on zero gravity? And be honest, you’ve always wanted to see what feeling weightless is like, but you didn’t really want to go through the 10 years of astronaut training. Well, good news! The G-Force-One is the first commercial plane that offers passengers the ultimate weightless experience as if you were in space.

exclusive escape on 0 gravity plane with Keir Alexa

The technique of creating a nearly gravity-free experience was started by NASA in order to help astronauts get used to what being weightless feels like, as well as what it feels like to accelerate beyond Earth’s normal gravity.  It works fairly simple:  A specialized 727 jet called the G-FORCE ONE takes you up to about 24,000 feet and then begins to do aerobatic maneuvers called parabolas. A parabola is achieved by increasing the aircraft to a 45-degree angle to reach an altitude of 34,000 feet. Then, the plane dives down and this is where you  get experience 30 seconds of weightlessness.

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For the initial takeoff, you’re sitting in regular seats, and feels a lot like the first part of any good rollercoaster—you’re leaning back in your chair full of anticipation, wondering what weightlessness is going to feel like. Once you reach the FAA designated airspace that is approximately 100 miles long and ten miles wide, you head to the back of the plane which is called the “Play Area.” That’s because it is where you get to play like astronauts do. The whole area has padding, which makes it a little more comfortable when your body is being tossed around like a rag doll.

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When the plane goes into its first parabola, a crewmember starts by yelling “Martian gravity!” which is 1/3 your weight on Earth. Then you go into “Lunar gravity” which is 1/6 your weight. During this time you can do one-finger push-ups and feel like a macho man.

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Then, the fourth parabola, you go into complete zero gravity!!!!!

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The people that work there are really informative, and the experience really does make you feel like going to space, even down to the cool blue jumpsuits you wear. The plane only has a couple of windows, which is great because then you really can get into the sense that you’re on a space shuttle and not an airplane.

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You can do somersaults, let yourself just float, or pretend you are Superwoman (or Superman)!

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But once the thirty seconds are up, you flop on the floor…and wait for the next climb and drop into zero gravity.

All in all, they do this 15 times, so you get to experience 8 whole minutes of weightlessness, giving you lots of time to play around and get used to the feeling of being in space.

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The Zero G experience is one of those once-in-a-lifetime, amazing experiences that I’ll never forget. I could not stop laughing and smiling the whole time. I felt like a little kid going to Disneyland for the first time!

PRICE AND WHAT YOU GET: “$4,950 + 5% tax: Weightless flight to include 15 parabolic maneuvers creating 20-30 seconds of weightlessness each. Includes ZERO-G merchandise, pre and post flight catering, professional photos of ZERO-G Experience®, video of weightless experience and certificate of weightless completion.”
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South Africa Meets South Beach
South Africa Meets South Beach 923 441 Keir Alexa

Three years ago my boyfriend, Bob, decided that he wanted to build a house in Miami, which is whole new kind of adventure for him. He asked for my help so I did a bunch of research, looking for the best architect for the project. My standards for this search were pretty high, and I scoured the web (and the world) to find the right fit.

Luckily, I found SAOTA, a distinguished and award winning firm based in Cape Town, South Africa. They build beautiful homes all over the world. As opposed to other firms who seek to copy contemporary trends, Saota works with their clients to create the vision that they truly want—a house that tells the story of the people who live there.

As you might have guessed, Bob and I love to travel! As we thought about it, the designs of the places we love most all have water as a main element, which is good for us, because the house will be built right on the water in South Beach. Places like the Setai Hotel in South Beach, The Bulgari Hotel in Bali, and One and Only in the Maldives all give us a feeling of beauty and serenity whenever we’re there, and that is how we want to feel at home, too.

So, feeling inspired by the work we saw from Saota, off we went to South Africa, to meet with the architects and bring this vision to life!

Meeting Stefan, Phillip, and Mark of Saota was a great experience. You can tell that they really “get” it. Watching the three of them collaborate with Bob on a vision, especially one as personal as a home, was great to be a part of.

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After looking at the beautiful homes and spaces that they have designed over the years, I realized that architecture is truly an art form like no other.  Their homes are like paintings that you can walk through. I could envision being inside one of their homes and the feelings it would bring out in me—what a thrill!

 

Here is what Bob’s Mac Daddy crib is going to look like in 19-21 months!!!

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The main entrance of the house

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160 feet on the water

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Indoor/Outdoor living

 

Below are some more of Saota’s designs:

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Dakar- West Africa

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Palm Jumeirah- Dubai

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Cape Town- South Africa

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Siu Lam- Hong Kong

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St Anne Seychelles

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Phuket Thailand

 

 

 
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Hear ye! Hear ye!
Hear ye! Hear ye! 4000 3000 Keir Alexa

Hear ye! Hear ye! The Renaissance Festival hath gone forth from our realm, and it was a triumph of Awesome!

Walking through the gates of Renaissance Faire you feel as if you are transported back in time. I was greeted by a group of costumed actors shouting out “Good Morrow!” I even had one guy dressed up in a viking costume (who was obviously heavily intoxicated)  shout out, “Thine legs are lovely!”  There’s really only one rule at RenFaire: Most things are fine as long as you keep in character!

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Whenever I walk into the faire, I head straight to the food booths! Feasting on food is probably my favorite reason for attending. This is definitely not the place to be healthy… The most popular is the turkey leg but my all time favorite must-eats are: the shepherds pie, macaroni & cheese, gyros, crepes, cheese balls, artichokes and italian ice.  Eat, drink, and be merry is the order of the day.

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Attractions are a-plenty for you goodly folk!. They have live jousting tournaments, camel rides, pub crawls, cross bows, throwing axes, musical acts, comedic skits, mazes, giant swings, hair braiding, henna tattoos, animals, turtle races, and most importantly…shopping.

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The shopping is the best! They have tons of hand crafted goods including artwork, clothing, jewelry, perfumes, etc.

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I went to a huge booth called Hearts Delight, a clothiers shop owned by my grandma’s best friend. They dressed me up in two of their finest costumes!
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If you are looking for a cool and unique costume check them out —http://www.heartsdelightclothiers.com/

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Kids are welcome but if you are an ultra conservative parent you might want to be aware that your kid will be exposed to things that they definitely wouldn’t see at Disneyland. They will be witnessing the shenanigans of drunkards, seeing lots and lots of breasts, and hearing raunchy sexual innuendoes.

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Quick Tips: 

  • Go in with an open mind- things may get weird.
  • Get there early in the morn, to avoideth crowds.
  • Bring lots of cash! Some booths accept credit cards but mostly its all cash, or your finest gold coins.
  • Wear comfortable shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty – yes…you will be walking on dirt all day.
  • Sunscreen- It can be blistering hot, and RenFaire is not some quick one-hour visit.
  • Bring your camera. This is a people-watching goldmine.
  • Costumes are not mandatory but its fun to participate and get dressed up.
  • Designated driver—There is tons and tons of beer and wine.

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My mom looking fabulous as Robin Hood 
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Home Away From Home in the Nantahala National Forest
Home Away From Home in the Nantahala National Forest 3840 2560 Keir Alexa

It is easy to forget how pleasurable the simple things in life are when we’re always on the move. Don’t get me wrong, I love being on the move and living in the moment, but sometimes we all feel so rushed that we forget how great just staying still can be.  So when some friends of ours in Miami invited us to stay at their cabin in North Carolina, I was excited to discover a part of America I had not seen yet.  We flew into Atlanta and drove three hours into the beautiful Nantahala National Forest, watching the big city fade away as the straight highways became curved and twisty mountain roads, and buildings gave way to trees and mountains.  I found I was actually relieved to not have any cell phone service! I love my phone, but I was ready for a vacation from technology and the daily hustle and bustle.

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Here is our friends beautiful cabin we stayed at, affectionately known as “Camp Weil”, right on the shore of Nantahala Lake. Nantahala is a Cherokee word that means “Land of the noon-day sun” and when the sun rose overhead it lit up the forest, turning everything amazing shades of green and gold.

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The porch with two comfortable rocking chairs looking out onto the lake was a great place to sit and relax, but my favorite place was probably the couch! I spent lots of time in my comfy pajamas being a couch potato and enjoying the warm wood-burning fireplace that emanated the smoky pine scent that you can only really smell when you’re in the wilderness far from home.

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There were a lot of water toys to play with during the day which included jet skis, kayaking, floating rafts, wake-boarding, and inter-tubing. Normally, I am not a huge fan of inter-tubing, but this time I had so much fun laughing (and screaming) as we zipped through the water at high speeds. I can’t wait to do it again!

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At night, we’d enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal and gaze at all the stars.  The stars seemed like you can just reach out and grab them, they were so bright. Big-city living is great, don’t get me wrong, but it doesn’t get dark there the way it does in the woods. It was so peaceful and quiet in the evening, with a light breeze blowing through the trees and a galaxy of stars overhead.

The whole experience was a perfect way to recharge and reconnect with nature, which is something I think we all should try to do more often. It makes you appreciate both the woods AND your cell phone just a little bit more!

 
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Coachella Roundup
Coachella Roundup 5760 3840 Keir Alexa

Coachella, one of my all time favorite music festivals, takes place in Indio, California. Coachella is all about being free to dance to good music, spend time with friends, and have plenty of fun!

Camping on the polo grounds is the most popular way of staying at Coachella. However, if camping isn’t your thing, try something a little more upscale. Stay at one of the hotels or rent a house. Our group decided to rent the ultimate, luxurious desert estate.

We drove up on Thursday night, and as soon as we arrived, we easily made ourselves at home. The magnificent property felt more like a hotel than a house. The sparkling olympic size pool and soothing jacuzzi was delightfully handy at all hours of the day and night.

Coachellah1Our Pool 2Tennis court 4The living room16Master Bedroom
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We had amazing Chef Keven Lee cook for us during our stay. I highly recommend him to anyone in the Los Angeles area wanting one of the worlds best chefs. Chef Kevin is not only a great chef, who cooks some of the most delicious dishes I have ever had, but he also has an amazing heart.

This year, big brand names like Guess, Chevy, H&M, Lacoste, and Neon Carnival produced major events that definitely topped last year.

On Friday night, my boyfriend put together a fantastic after party. It was definitely one for the books. The music was bumping, the drinks were flowing, and people were dancing. A great time was had by all!

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My highlights from this year were the astronaut that roamed about the festival, Neon Carnival, Yuma tent, Pharrell Williams, Alesso, Calvin Harris, and Disclosure.

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After the long weekend of partying, my boyfriend and I decided to skip the traffic and jet home! I miss Coachella already!

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Ultimate Taxi Ride
Ultimate Taxi Ride 5760 3840 Keir Alexa

One night after dinner, we decided that we wanted to explore Aspen at night, and started to walk down the street when up ahead of me was a taxi parked with neon lights flashing inside.  As soon as I got close I realized that this wasn’t just a regular old Taxi… this was a mini nightclub on wheels, this was a little taste of Burning Man-style weirdness in the normal world…this was the ULTIMATE TAXI

How could we say no? We decided to hop in the car and go for a ride around town. The taxi has LED lights on the inside of the car as well as the outside.

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Jon Barnes, the driver, handed us some 3D glasses and started driving while he bumped up the music!

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During the ride Jon dazzled us by playing the electric drums and keyboard. There is a laser show and smog machines and he gave us giant foam glow sticks. He even whipped out the electric clarinet and played some classic tunes so we could really get our groove on.

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Typically, the taxi ride costs $200 for 40 minutes but Jon said if we sang and looked like wild animals (while he filmed us) then we would ride for free.. and that is just what we did.

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I sang my heart out and I am surprised the glass windows of the taxi didn’t break. After all, “Lifes not about the destination…. it’s about the journey.”

This was definitely the Ultimate Taxi ride to say the least. So much fun and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Aspen!

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