Post
by Fiver » Sat Sep 07, 2013 5:20 pm
Every year I write up notes the moment I get home (before memories fade) about what worked and what didn't on the playa. Personal, infrastructure, food, etc.... Helps plan the next year. 2012 was an amazing burn that will be very hard to ever top, but one of my main notes from last year was "rest more".
So I did. Sadly this year I felt like I missed out on a lot of stuff when I was sleeping/resting, but when I was out and about I was alert, awake, and not a zombie which was great. So it's a crapshoot on what was better. Most of my camp mates are younger, and try as I might, I can't party (and recover the next day) like could when I was 22.
Not exploring more. Daytime I slept/rested, evenings (my favorite time to explore) I was chilling in camp. Then I spent every night-sunrise at sound camps dancing. I had a great time doing it, and heard some amazing music, but looking back I wish I'd remembered it's not just a music fest. Sunday afternoon was my only deep playa visit and I was kicking myself for not spending more time out there.
I built a art bike this year (dual tandems with a canopy) and it was amazingly fun to ride around with friends... I never even set up my normal bike for night time riding... I feel that limited my night time explorations... Riding the art bike was a blast, but tiring, I think if I'd had a normal bike out most nights I could've peeled off and explored more. It's just after putting so much work into it (art bike) pre-event I almost felt obligated to ride it every night.
Spend more time enjoying early in the week. My first year was 2011, and even then I noticed that starting around Thursday eve the playa just becomes... too packed. I've always really had a lot more fun out there Sun-Thurs... Fri to the end it's just a different vibe, and I'm not a fan of it.
I was also involved with a art car this year, and it was... not as much fun as I wanted it to be. Art car's are great, but they limit you to where they wind up, and someone needs to stay sober to drive it... If there ever was a place for Google's self driving car tech, it's the playa!
Finally, I should have hooked up with the super cutie who was all over me Tuesday night, but didn't, because I was sober and she wasn't. After 5+ hours of fun times together that night with no drop in interest on her part, it should have been clear she actually was into me, and just tipsy and "in the moment".