Hello and welcome to the site. I'll open up with a slight bit of teasing...
very self-reliant is a relative term, as instead of reading through the boards and seeing the question asked and answered many, many times... you're posting a thread asking for help finding a camp.
No worries, though. You're definitely not too late or doomed or anything bad at all. Finding and joining a camp is just a matter of doing just that. There is a
partial list of theme camps posted on the main site (and also linked around here someplace), as well as a number of camps in this board that are posting about what they're up to and what they're looking for in new campmates. Find a camp that interests you, and reach out to them (they may have web links, email addresses, or you might have to try searching their camp names to track down a Facebook page or something). Write and let them know you like what they're up to, and you're interested in joining, and ask if they still have room. Some camps may be either full up or aren't taking new members - don't take that personally, it just means that they have limited space or are a small group. At worst, they'll be flattered and you'll have someone you can look up and say hi if/when you visit them on the playa. If they do still have room, they'll probably fill you in on the details or point you to a signup page on their site.
Since you're in a city with a pretty active burner community, I'd also recommend checking out some local events. Lots of stuff is happening now in SF. Bar or club nights can be fun, but I'd suggest looking at the regional list/group postings for camps or art projects that have posted open calls for work nights or build nights. Give a project a hand and meet some people. Renee's reply is a perfect example of that.
Good luck in finding the perfect fit!
