Share short stories for my project, please?

[BBadger]

Even though I guess I'm sort of a veteran now, I know there is a lot to Burning Man I haven't experienced yet. Almost each year I've attended, I've brought a virgin with me and I continually look for ways to guide them towards a maximal experience, as well as try to help myself grow and grok more Burning Man in general.

I think your questions in the OP are misconceived. It sounds like you're seeking out personal growth, and that's not something "must see or do" experiences others have is going to cause. You can try to emulate what other people do, but ultimately you'll need to seek out your own experiences.

Try checking out the tips for shy people thread in Preparation if you want some help with not being a wall-flower -- if that is something you desire.

[illy dilly]

oops, deleted the end quote tag. And I call myself a nerd.

But rather than go back and fix it, you just created another thread?
You're just gunnen for page 2, now arent-chya?

Who me? Do I look like the type person that enjoys snark? Goodness, I'm one of the NICE ones.

UM... DUH!
Who doesn't enjoy snark?
But, you truly are one of the nice ones.

[VultureChow]

1) Leave the WWW guide in camp, take water, pick a direction, start walking, stumble home and burn the WWW guide for warmth.
2) See number 1
3) See number 2
4) See number 3

I don't think I made it to one thing in the guide that I had selected as a possible destination. My most memorable night is the one I set off alone and got fed by DPW, manned a kissing booth and made queen of some random castle. The only other thing I would say is a must is volunteering. As a virgin, you don't need to sign up for anything, just show up. Take an Ice shift, tend bar, serve food, work perimeter. Anything that allows you to interact with the public.

[Savannah]

But first, picture yourself standing on the playa at Burning Man, with the dust and the sun and the splendor, talking to a new friend you’ve just met...

1) You discover this person is a Burning Man virgin. What would you recommend that they do or experience during their first year on the playa?

Survive, & don't injure anyone else: Drink electrolytes. Check tie-downs. Double-check that rebar is capped. Light oneself front & back at night. Zip the tent tight, and take a bag w/ goggles, a canteen, etc when leaving camp. Expect Entrance and Exodus to take 3-6 hours each and sleep accordingly, so you don't wreck your car on the way in or out.

Venture out during the day.

2) You discover that they’ve been to Burning man before. What would you recommend that they do to expand their experiences at Burning Man?

Someone who has Burned before probably doesn't need my help to broaden their horizons, but volunteering feels pretty good, once you have your sea legs.

If a person regrets something specifically about a past Burn, they can think hard about what they want to improve for the next one, & if they know what it is, fellow Burners can help them brainstorm. For example, BBadger linked the Shy People thread for you on a hunch. If that's not food for thought, be quite specific about what you're looking for, and I think people would try to help on a personal level.

3) What do you think are the top “must-do” or “must-see” experiences at Burning Man?

Sunrise.

But I can't bring myself to be militant about it. Sometimes sleep (& sanity) is more important.

4) What are your most memorable experiences from your time at Burning Man?

I tried to answer why I don't tend to list my most memorable Burn experiences, and became annoyed by the sound of my own voice. The reasons I don't constantly tell stories are many. A few are logical, some are emotional. I'll take a wild guess and say that's true for many of us.

If I'm wrong, I lose absolutely nothing, so I feel really comfortable saying that.

So rather than say why I don't do it, I will say that my strongest motivation TO tell a story is because because 1) it's relevant to something else, or 2) I feel strongly moved to share. Right now, neither of those things are true, but it's not personal.

[tink08]

My advise is the same to everyone. Spend at least an hour at the temple soaking it all in (to me, the temple is what makes burning man so emotional and special). Never be afraid to hop on an art car to see where it takes you (they may be going somewhere far that you would have never thought about visiting). Play a game or twelve of "what the fuck is that?" (notice something in the distance that makes you say to yourself "what the fuck is that" and set off to identify it. But don't forget about all of the great things along the way... More often then not, the discoveries during the journey are what makes this game great). Don't spend the whole burn on your bike (taking a few walks will allow you to slow down and see more). Last but not least... NEVER underestimate the connections you make with people at the portopotties (during both of our virgin years, I met the love of my life because I initially mistook him for my brother's girlfriend in the darkness of the portopotties. We connected during and after the burn and recently celebrated our 4 year anniversary). Hope this helps!

[Savannah]

That's marvelous, Tink!

[theCryptofishist]

"To journey hopefully is better than to arrive." --RL Stevenson.

I may have the quote slightly off. It's been a long time since I've copied that into my journal.

[knowmad]

Still waiting for you to tell us what your First Project was.
I mean sheesh I've got a shitload of stories. But I can't really share them with you, I'm kinda busy; I've got a Jesuit Nun tided up in my basement that I've been trying to teach fellatio to. It's a performance piece, I don't think you'd understand.


God I love page two!

[tink08]

Awe thank you!