On my 90th day of sobriety in late April of this year, I was in a "I can do anything" phase, so I quit smoking cigarettes and bought a ticket to Burning Man. A few weeks later at one of my regular Minneapolis meetings, a stranger (to me) wandered in, and I ended up talking to him after the meeting. I noticed a tattoo on his calf of a little man on fire, and asked if it had to do with Burning Man. "Yup," said he. "This will be my ninth year out there, and I'm one of the founders of Anonymous Camp, the sober camp."

So I came to the Nevada desert with my seven months of sobriety, and for a week I camped with 34,000 artists, environmentalists, new age shaman-wannabees, completely normal folks, and some of the most hard-core partiers on the planet. There were three sober camps, and meetings 'round the clock at our own Anonymous Camp. Some of the meetings had 50+ people at them, and everyone was there because they wanted to be, not because "This is what I do on Thursday night." Several times a day I got to hear what my peers in recovery were doing right now to stay sober in that most unusual and trying atmosphere. It was challenging but wonderful, and if (one day at a time) I go back next year it will be for the meetings.

Now I'm stranded in Reno for a bit. On 8/28, as I was on my way to the Burn, the transmission went out on my brand new (2,613 miles total) Ford F-150. It went out in Winnemucca, about 120 miles from the Burning Man site. I left it at the only Ford dealership for 100 miles around, and took a rental car to the Burn. Burning Man concluded last Monday, and after having had the vehicle for almost two full weeks, the dealership finally got around to working on it a couple days ago. They discovered they needed to order parts, which probably arrived on Friday. I'm not sure, because they told me it'll be done when it's done, and I should quit bugging them.

I do not want to hear that I never should've bought a Ford. I already know that, and I spent two days last week on the phone last week pestering the dealership in Winnemucca (the only Ford dealership in 100 miles, so they know they've got me since it's a warranty repair and I can't have it towed anywhere else), my dealership back in Minneapolis, and Ford Corporate in Dearborn, Michigan. I'm not writing this post to complain, I'm writing it to point out that attitude in recovery is crucial, and opportunity sometimes takes a roundabout road.

My sponsor taught me to always look for opportunity in the face of adversity. Right after I had my truck towed into Winnemucca, I walked to a convenience store with the intention of buying my first pack of cigarettes in four months. At the last moment I realized this would be a really bad time (right before Burning Man) to start relying on chemicals to give me a lift, so instead I bought a nail clipper and trimmed my nails. While I waited for a rental car to become available, I made out a gratitude list. I didn't think much about my truck during the Burn, since there was nothing I could do to influence the situation besides checking in with the dealership every couple days. When the festival ended last Monday and it became apparent the repair wouldn't be complete for a while, I found a hotel in Reno just a few blocks from the Triangle Club, where I've been going to 2-3 meetings a day.

I can't even describe the sort of tailspin the engine problems would have thrown me into a year ago. Thanks to my sponsor, these days I understand that "It is what it is," and that it's my responsibility to find the learning opportunities in the situation. For the last two weeks I've averaged three meetings a day, had my sobriety challenged and passed the test, and met some truly wonderful people I'd never have known if things had gone as I'd planned them. I'm grateful for all of it, and for a program of recovery that's helped me learn about surrender and emotional competency and there is opportunity for growth in every situation.

I'm ready to go home to Minnesota, but if you're ever in the Reno area, there's some awesome AA here. And at Burning Man.

I'm Rob and I'm an alcoholic addict. Thanks for reading.