Is anyone going to Burning Man later this month?

Question

This will be my first time. I think I am ready but am still looking for tips, encouragement, and ideas for what I should be sure to do while I am there.

Answer 1

You asked for "tips, encouragement, and ideas for what I should be sure to do while I am there."

What you should you be sure to do:

There is nothing that is a "must do."  While most consider the "burning of The Man" (Sat. night)  and the "burning of The Temple" (Sunday night) to be the climactic events, you can have an amazing time without witnessing these.  Yet, it is worth seeing the choreographed performance by over 1,000 fire performers surrounding The Man before it is set on fire.  And the fire-lit dust devils generated during the burn are not something you might ever see again.  You will probably want to join the massive crowd for those two spectacles.  The Temple Burn is interesting in that people are very quiet and reverent during the fire, while there are layers of blasting music and thousands of people whooping it up during the burn of The Man.

All week you can wander around Black Rock City (BRC) and discover all kinds of wonders.  Yet, it's nearly impossible to see "everything", so don't try.  Many folks find themselves suffering from over-stimulation in no time, which is the point where you seek out a quiet chill space to close your eyes and relax.

A friend's mom came one year, and at the end, told me how it seemed like she frequently arrived at a place at "just the right moment", when something incredible was happening.  I believe that those "right moments" are happening everywhere at BRC all week, and it's hard to walk or ride anywhere without coming across a sublime moment, or an amazingly bizarre performance, or meeting a person who offers you just what you need at that moment.

Black Rock City is like nowhere else on earth.  The environment and the bizarreness of it all seems quite alien to many.  You might even feel like you're on another planet--I often hear the comment "this isn't Earth, this can't be happening on Earth, where are we?"

As for encouragement, I'm not sure you need any if you already made plans to go.  Once you're there, it's easy to figure out the city and learn from the community how to get around.  You should receive a theme camp and events guide at the gate, which lists hundreds of scheduled events going on all week.  Something in there may interest you, and many of the descriptions of camps and events will crack you up.

Once you get there, what you do will all depend on your interests and attitude.  You can go with the flow and wander the city all week, or use the events guide to plan your week based on what events you wish to participate in.

If you get there early, like Monday, you might also consider offering to help when you see camps or structures being built.  It's a great way to meet people, too.

Answer 2

I'm going Home again! Can almost smell the dust.

In the tone of ePlaya, could you be a little more specific please?

I take it you know about the BM internet places for virgins to discuss tips and share advice amongst themselves and veterans? I'm talking about Facebook groups and the numerous Tribe groups dedicated to this topic.

In the meantime, here's a link to a general thread on Playa tips:

http://eplaya.burningman.com/viewtopic.p...

There's also the fabulous and huge amount of info from The Civilzed Explorer:

http://www.cieux.com/bm/bmtoc.html

If you want something more specific then add some details to your question and I'll check back later.

Amidst the dust in 11 days and counting...

EDIT:  OK, I won't add anything as Sharon S has done such a good job.  I share many of her sentiments and found myself nodding and smiling while reading her answer.  

Burners all over the planet with growing anticipation and excitement... and a growing list of things to bloody do in time.  Love it!  Until we all converge next week.

Answer 3

This is my first year too. I joined  http://tribes.tribe.net/08bmvirgins , and it really helped. Honestly, I needed that guidance from veteran burners. And this tribe has been a great resource for me. You can also join rideshare tribes within tribe.net.

Hope that helps

Answer 4

Grr I was going to, but your crapply immigration people won't give me a holiday visa, even.