Welcome to the Value of Virgins / Burgins

[some seeing eye]

Many of you are planning your participation. Good for getting prepared!

This is about the value of virgins to multi year burners and the event.

Your first year is unique. No worries you don't become a burner year two to infinity. Many camps seek virgins, to hear their stories. It is very, very late to connect with a camp now.

"OMG, I saw this, I heard this, I tasted this, this happened." Your story is special to Burning Man!

Every story of things you saw, things you did has value in telling to the year two plus burners.

Carry a way to journal, write / dictate audio or video.

You will have a magical experience!

As they say, you can only step in the flowing stream which is Burning Man as a virgin once!

[Drawingablank]

So much this!

[Token]

Nonsense, they are there so we can have endless entertainment with pulling pranks, bullhorn heckling and guided misdirection.

Don't worry, we will get you no matter how hard you try to evade us FKOs.

[gaminwench]

I was reaaaaalllly looking forward to having a virgin in my care this year (my last was in 2009); unforseen circumstances have cancelled his experience.

I am soooo bummed.
I hadn't realized how MUCH I was anticipating the joy of introducing a newb to BRC.

Letting go of expectations, now ...

[GreyCoyote]

Its okay, Yay. We have two. Feel free to borrow either/both. Just have them home for supper.

[VultureChow]

We have two second years, but new to camp life. That's enough responsibility for me right now.

We've also half adopted one in our area. He's not camping with us, but we've been helping each other out.

[ZigZag]

From this virgin, thank you.

Words can't even describe (yet) how I feel about leaping off into this unknown. From the beginning of this odyssey, my entire being has seemed drawn, pulled, and pushed towards this place. My burn began long before I will even see the desert.

I know that I will never have this particular feeling of wonder again once I step foot on the playa. I don't yet know the feeling of "the dust" or the intensity of the land, I don't yet know the rush of sound, the pressure of humankind. I don't yet know the embrace of home and my yet-to-be-discovered new family. I can only imagine the rush on the senses, the deep caring of the people, and the emotional vulnerability that comes with all of this.

Embracing the 10 principles is clean for me at this point, I take them at their core meaning without the influence of opinion, without their flaws, or how they are really applied.

This is why I am camping solo, I want to dive into this maelstrom head first and learn how to swim as I go before the jaws of reality begin to close. I fully believe that if I start to drown, someone there will grab me by the collar and pull me up for air.

My eyes are wide open in awe and my mouth agape in wonder.

[some seeing eye]

Carry a way to journal, write / dictate writing text, audio or video.

[AntiM]

We often host international burgins, to make their journey simpler, providing some essentials. They get shade and a tent, but they have to set it up. Water, but they get to make ice runs. Use of the kitchen and a cooler, but they bring their own food and drink. It has always been a lovely experience. I chose not to offer this year, as I was so uncertain about my health and surgeries.

This year our burgin is a member of my extended local family/ohana. I know him and he's been to regionals so no stranger to basic burning. I almost forgot to consider him a newbie!

[Eric]

We've got two newbs with us, and I can't wait. They're both slightly pre-jaded (I mean c'mon, they are camping with us), but I came pre-jaded as well my first year, and I still fell into the wonder of the event the second we pulled into camp and I stepped outside.