From the time I first heard The Ventures song "Diamondhead" and saw the mountain in all it's grandeur on our various trips to Hawaii, I naturally wondered what being on top looking out would be like.  Little did I know that there was a well maintained stairstep trail leading up to the top.  Megan got to the bottom of that when we were there last spring and we decided to wing driving up there and trying to hike.  To start, I neither realized it was a volcano, or that it would be possible to get all the way to the top.  It is a journey of some miles, but the trail zig zags and is palatable to even the most out of shape person such as I am.  When we arrived, we were joined near the entrance by an elderly man who said he hiked it numerous times; makes a habit of it.  We found that they are not sticklers about the supposed closing time of the trail, and as long as you start by 430-ish and are gone by 630, you won't be locked in the tunnel by the roadcrew.  Like an act of divine intervention, there is a fabulous rustic smoothie, fruit drink, raw coconut stand when you pass the gate that I think everyone around us patronized.  Nectar of the gods.  The first part of the trail is gentle, but the second part is straight up and more taxing.  The view gets progressively more grand.  As we climbed, it was like that parable about blind men touching various parts of an elephant and not being able to say what it is, but getting to the top, one is treated to breathtaking panoramic views of Waikiki and the entire side of the island, and one also realizes that what you have been climbing is the side of a huge volcanic crater the entire time.  So, consequently, it is like the journey of a thousand miles starts with one step and you are already where you seek to be from the moment you start.  Best lazy person's hike I've ever done!

This year as we were planning our trip to Burningman I came across an interesting project called the Flybrary. It was a combination art, education, and social justice piece. The Human Library Project was started in Denmark in 2000 by journalist Ronni Abergel for "Stop the Violence" organization. The concept was to use living people instead of books, creating deep meaningful conversations to breakdown stereotypes and prejudice. The project now exists in 85 countries and describes itself as:

"The Human Library is an association which strives to create empathy, respect, and understanding for the diversity in society through our work. We do this, by creating a safe space for dialogue, where challenging and taboo subjects can be discussed in the open without being condemned. A place where people who otherwise would never meet nor talk, can find room for conversation. A place, where ​the reader ​ can sit down with a complete stranger, who are volunteering to answer questions about being homeless, a refugee, bisexual, Muslim, handicapped, HIV+, or a police officer. A place, where the reader can ask honestly, and get an honest answer from the people who are living the life themselves."

As a personal passionate about social justice, ending interpersonal violence, global peace, bringing together community, and having deep discussions, this place seemed perfect for me. The added bonus was that this year it would be at burningman, on the playa (the big desert we call home) with an art piece to go with it. 

Through the process of interviews, applications, and trying to properly hone my book title, I was able to solidify my plans. Of course, its Burningman, so nothing really goes as planned, but you learn to be flexible, make changes, and somehow thing work out. My first glimpse of the "Flybrary" was at night. It was stationed close to "The Man," a huge statuesque human head with books flying out of the head like a flock of birds being set free.  People were gathered around in awe.

When I found my way there in daylight after passing through several clouds of duststorms on my decorated bike, I learned you could climb inside the sculpture and read some of the highly curated books residing inside. I got myself checked in and waited to be checked out. It didn't take long. Readers could check me out for up to 30 minutes before returning me to the library. I had several really great readings, each selecting a different title of my book to read initially. 

I ended up meeting some really cool human books, librarians, curators, and readers. It was such a unique experience to sit under the blazing hot sun in the middle of the desert laying bare your most intimate and vulnerable aspects of yourself for a stranger in hopes that they will truly see the person in front of them and not the box they created in their mind.  Each sharing experience was different. The books were about Survivors of suicide, Immigrants, Atheists, Domestic Partnerships, Lesbians, African Americans, Multi-racial individuals, Polyamory, growing up Mormon, and perceptions of "the pretty girl" to name a few. ​Each story I heard was unique and of course everyone looked friggin fabulous even covered with mountains of dust and dirt. Fascinating to hear the stories of peoples lives and the complexities of their journeys. I hope someday you have the opportunity to unjudged someone.

You can read or watch more videos about the human library here:
 Ronni Abergel (Co-founder) doing a Ted Talk about the HL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZmEqksaEVU
2. HL being conducted at the University of Fairfield, US. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjFHlR5DmJk 
3. HL described in 1 minute! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCGBXKy4Wuk 
Instagram for the International Human Library: https://www.instagram.com/humanlibraryorganization/