Burn Out?

Absolut Jeenyus · Post by **Absolut Jeenyus** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 7:17 am

AntiM wrote:
Token wrote:I hear that a trip to Hawaii costs less than the average burn cost ...
Nope. I can guarantee we spend less going to Big Island than we do going to the burn.

Umm I think you just agreed with him...

teardropper · Post by **teardropper** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:33 am

As a virgin this year, I can't say much about burnout. Except that if you are burned out, with out being snarky, don't go. You can never be a virgin again. You can never have it like it used to be. I can never experience what you did your virgin year. It's changed. It's different. I know this because it has to change. And I talk to veteran Burners who tell me. I know I will be back next year. And I hope you will be, too. What it is is still good. But not what it used to be, never will be.

Evolution.

teardropper · Post by **teardropper** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:37 am

And, yes, it cost a whole lot more than a trip to the Islands; gonna have to amortize some expenses. But all worth it.

goathead · Post by **goathead** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:49 am

thisisthatwhichis wrote: I guess that's what it comes down to for me....... The people.
Art comes and goes, is strange and kewl, but, the peeps are soooo worth hugging each year.............

It is hard for me to even think about taking a year off. Your right the art comes and goes, it is the people who make the burn for me.

bigbluedoggy · Post by **bigbluedoggy** » Thu Sep 24, 2009 12:53 am

Very interesting discussion. This was my 4th year and my third as leader of a theme camp. My first year I was part of a theme camp without really understanding what it meant until i got there. When all of those folks in that camp, many of whom had been coming for years, opted for a year off, my buddy and I eventually decided we needed to carry on the tradition and create a camp. Thousands of dollars and two oversized games later, I found myself at the end of this burn thinking two things: This was my best year yet and I think I'm not doing a theme camp next year.

It was the best for a couple of reasons. I've now been coming long enough that I feel I have some true friends on the playa whom I am genuinely excited to see and whom I hope are happy to see me as well. I also had an amazing crew in our theme camp this year who really stepped up and made it happen, much more than the previous two years. Not that people didn't help then, but this year it really rocked! Consequently, I was able to have a lot more time away from the camp and without the worry about what was going on back in camp.

So why no theme camp next year? Because its a shitload of work and I'd like to do some other things next summer as well. I am still planning on going to BM for sure in 2010! But I'm aiming for a smaller camp experience... maybe 6 or 8 of us, no games to be babysat, no drinks to be made all day. It could be that in 2011 we bring back Destiny Lounge or some other iteration of our camp. It could be we still do it in 2010... I am just not sure.

Am I burnt-out? No. I think I just want to mix it up a bit. I have a couple of ideas for new contraptions to bring out there... ya never know what we may show up with. I would not look for Rock Yer Balls next year at this point. It survived with flying colors this year and I'm sure it has another year in it if we decide to bring it. The Fling of Destiny is heading to the dump. It had a good life and the flinger may find a new purpose along the way somewhere.

Nothing is definite and this may all be decompression talking. But I think several of the principals in our camp are pooped and wouldn't mind an easier year. We had a great year! Next year will be even better!

Sorry for the rambling and hijacking.

Karlene · Post by **Karlene** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 4:40 pm

I left last year, 2008, feeling a little discouraged because the riding was so hard, even the walking, so I hung around camp a lot, which really, was very entertaining. It was my 8th Burn and I thought, maybe next year I'll skip it. I was exhausted. I told my brother that and he looked at me and said "What do you mean you might not go next year!!!" "Don't give me that shit, you're going!!"

OK, I have been commanded, Eventually I got my energy back and was jazzed to go again. And the funniest thing happened, it was my BEST BURN ever...on many levels. My best burn ever.......

Remember this is the playa...and the playa wants to KILL you....

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Wed Oct 14, 2009 10:19 am

Do you belong to some sort of cult?

Karlene · Post by **Karlene** » Wed Oct 14, 2009 10:37 am

Why do you ask that?

Post by **Elderberry** » Wed Oct 14, 2009 12:20 pm

I think almost everybody that runs a theme camp has similar feelings along the way; unless you've done it, you don't really appreciate all the work that goes into it.

We broke up our village this year because of all the work involved--turned out to be a great decision.

We also decided to do our camp participation for a limited period of time each day so that we could enjoy giving something to the community but not feel over-burdoned doing it.

I think we'll end up doing the same thing again this coming year.

JK

bigbluedoggy wrote:Very interesting discussion. This was my 4th year and my third as leader of a theme camp. My first year I was part of a theme camp without really understanding what it meant until i got there. When all of those folks in that camp, many of whom had been coming for years, opted for a year off, my buddy and I eventually decided we needed to carry on the tradition and create a camp. Thousands of dollars and two oversized games later, I found myself at the end of this burn thinking two things: This was my best year yet and I think I'm not doing a theme camp next year.

It was the best for a couple of reasons. I've now been coming long enough that I feel I have some true friends on the playa whom I am genuinely excited to see and whom I hope are happy to see me as well. I also had an amazing crew in our theme camp this year who really stepped up and made it happen, much more than the previous two years. Not that people didn't help then, but this year it really rocked! Consequently, I was able to have a lot more time away from the camp and without the worry about what was going on back in camp.

So why no theme camp next year? Because its a shitload of work and I'd like to do some other things next summer as well. I am still planning on going to BM for sure in 2010! But I'm aiming for a smaller camp experience... maybe 6 or 8 of us, no games to be babysat, no drinks to be made all day. It could be that in 2011 we bring back Destiny Lounge or some other iteration of our camp. It could be we still do it in 2010... I am just not sure.

Am I burnt-out? No. I think I just want to mix it up a bit. I have a couple of ideas for new contraptions to bring out there... ya never know what we may show up with. I would not look for Rock Yer Balls next year at this point. It survived with flying colors this year and I'm sure it has another year in it if we decide to bring it. The Fling of Destiny is heading to the dump. It had a good life and the flinger may find a new purpose along the way somewhere.

Nothing is definite and this may all be decompression talking. But I think several of the principals in our camp are pooped and wouldn't mind an easier year. We had a great year! Next year will be even better!

Sorry for the rambling and hijacking.

Roberto Dobbisano · Post by **Roberto Dobbisano** » Wed Oct 14, 2009 12:40 pm

it's not a cult until Larry says it's a cult.