Hello from a Seattlite in Germany

[Cybermach]

Hey All,

My name is Ned. I've been thinking about coming to Burning Man for years but there has always been some other adventure occupying the time. My birthday just happens to happen on August 30th so I'm working on getting a group of my old friends from the States and a couple of good peeps from here in Germany to come with to make it a great 37th birthday. I'll be reading my way around, looking for camps. If you have any suggestions, I'm all ears. I fully intend to attempt to participate in any way I can to support the community

What I'm good at:

Carpentry (trained boatbuilder)
Mechanics (ex-mechanic in Coast Guard)
Bike fixing (worked in a bike shop for a bit when I was in university and I've been bike communting for over 10 years)
Bartending (did that to pay for uni as well)
Cooking/supporting other people that are cooking with prep or cleaning
Basically anything requiring a stong back and weak mind.

Like I said, if anyone out there is planning no good and wants some crew, let me know.

Best wishes to all,

N

[dragonpilot]

Hey CM!

No harm in starting to plan early. I'd recommend staying active on this board until the day you leave for the event. At present most of us are still unpacking, cleaning, decompressing, giving some thot to next year, but we'll really start getting into high gear as spring and summer approach.

Take this time to shop around through last year's theme camps and see which ones interest you. I know there are 2-3 bike repair camps, and most camps welcome chef skills...that said, many of the theme camps might not appeal to you...use due diligence. That means focus on 2-3 camps that suit your interests, make contact with the camp organizers, sell yourself. Keep in mind that most attendees do not affiliate with a theme camp...they just show up and have a ball.

Hopefully you'll be able to gather a solid, committed group of friends to attend with you...but plan as if you're going solo. It's difficult to find folks who are interested, and then have the finances and time to attend.

If you're in Germany try getting in touch with the regional group there (http://regionals.burningman.com/eu_de.html). Otherwise, contact regionals wherever you end up.

Good luck!

[JStep]

What I'm good at:

Carpentry (trained boatbuilder)
Mechanics (ex-mechanic in Coast Guard)
Bike fixing (worked in a bike shop for a bit when I was in university and I've been bike communting for over 10 years)
Bartending (did that to pay for uni as well)
Cooking/supporting other people that are cooking with prep or cleaning
Basically anything requiring a stong back and weak mind.

You're hired!

Welcome aboard. You have the qualifications to be a badass burner. Hope to see you out there!

[illy dilly]

Welcome to Eplaya!

Well done getting started early!

You might want to look around and loosely understand the Ticket Fiasco 2012. The very quick verson: There was some crazy nonsense and the ticket sales will be different in 2013 than they were in 2012, and will likely sell out again. Just keep up with 'ticketing news' over the next 4 months or so and be prepared to buy your ticket as early as February.

For international travelers it can be difficult to committing to buy an air line ticket before having the event ticket, understandably. There are some threads about this topic around eplaya someplace.

[Cybermach]

Thanks for the tips and encouragement.

Illy dilly, thanks, I will be watching the ticket situation very closely.

Therapist, I would like to find a camp to join with my friends but I also am planning as if I might have to do this alone. Planning/Life/Logistics can always come up and I'm the only person in my group of friends that has lots of free time over the summer (I'm a lecturer at a uni). Either way, being new and coming in from Europe, I think I could make the most difference if I joined up with some like minded folks. Although I do still have my old jeep (actually, now my little brother's jeep but I'm stealing it back) in the states and will be capable of taking care of myself in all the normal ways, as well as possibly hauling some gear.

Stay well all!

[illy dilly]

Thanks for the tips and encouragement.

Illy dilly, thanks, I will be watching the ticket situation very closely.

Therapist, I would like to find a camp to join with my friends but I also am planning as if I might have to do this alone. Planning/Life/Logistics can always come up and I'm the only person in my group of friends that has lots of free time over the summer (I'm a lecturer at a uni). Either way, being new and coming in from Europe, I think I could make the most difference if I joined up with some like minded folks. Although I do still have my old jeep (actually, now my little brother's jeep but I'm stealing it back) in the states and will be capable of taking care of myself in all the normal ways, as well as possibly hauling some gear.

Stay well all!

Absolutely!
I try to avoid ticket talk, as its mostly drama and hearsay, but I think International travelers face a huge issue with booking flights (transportation of what ever kind) with out knowing if they have or can get a ticket.