All By Myself

kirby · Post by **kirby** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 4:13 pm

First, thank you for the kindness from the strangers who helped me with my mylar-van question. I'm encouraged to ask for more feedback.
I am coming this year for my first time. I've never had the desire to go, but this year I'm COMPELLED to go. I don't know why, but I'm excited. I'm coming alone and I don't know anybody. I'm having this fantasy of arriving on the first day and walking around and everybody is in a group of friends and greeting old friends and I'm, like, not. My idea is to volunteer as a way to get connected. Is there some place I should head on the first day to get that going? Thank you!

Post by **Savannah** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 4:24 pm

Hi Kirby!

The volunteer link is at the lower left of the main site:

http://www.burningman.com/participate/volunteer.html

There's lots of ways to volunteer. See that green margin to the right. You don't have to commit to a lot of hours--in fact, your first time out, it is not recommended. You need time to acclimate. (There are also areas that don't play to the strengths of a first timer--like Greeter, or Post Office, or Playa Info. Although I have seen two virgins be good Greeters--the right spirit, and a little studying made it possible.)

Lamplighters welcomes virgins, among others. Arctica is another good choice, because their shifts are three hours and you keep cool while working.

illy dilly · Post by **illy dilly** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 4:40 pm

Hey Kirby,
Welcome!
I'd typically let folks know that there is an 'introduce your self' thread. But you just jumped into the meat and potatoes of it- and that works too!

I'd have to say, don't sign up for too much volunteering. You'll be surprised at how fast time flies in BRC.

Working Ice sales, kicks ass! Its pretty fun, and like savannah said, the shifts are short, so you're not stuck doing it forever.

But to you're main topic, don't worry, you will meet folks left and right! Almost everyone in BRC is very friendly and are there to meet new folks. Plus over the next couple months you'll meet lots of folks here.
If nothing else, feel free to come by our camp The gNome Dome. Don't know where exactly we're gonna be yet, but stay tuned and I'll let ya know as soon as we know!

some seeing eye · Post by **some seeing eye** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 6:01 pm

The advantage of camping with a group is more infrastructure and a ready made group to talk with about all the awesome experiences you will have. This is one of the core BM things that happens. The disadvantage is that sometimes people get stressed by BM and that occasionally causes negative dynamics in the camp group.

Your van can just be a crash pad and you can spend as much or as little time making new friends as you want. And you may be adopted by a nearby camp if you like!

There is a big list of regional groups on the main website that have formal and informal events where you could meet people going if you are nearby.

There are many different vibes, and I have always enjoyed the AEZ and Nectar Village crew. I've had great volunteer experiences too.

Apox · Post by **Apox** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 6:15 pm

I too am going to be a virgin this year at BM, as well as maybe coming alone. Hell, if anything, we can get together and party!

jcliff · Post by **jcliff** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 6:25 pm

Come and join the Lamplighters for an evening! We head out and light the playa and then you can join us in the lounge for cocktails. The lighting each night is a really beautiful procession, and you'll be warm and fuzzy with all the love you get from the citizens of BRC. Just show up at Lamplighter Chapel any evening at 5pm. We're at 6 o'clock and Center Camp. We'll get you fitted in a robe and you can decide what job you'd like to do and the route you'd like to take. We show you everything you need to know. You're done between 7-8 depending on the route you choose. Lamplighters are awesome and very welcoming to newbies. Best wishes for your first Burn!

capjbadger · Post by **capjbadger** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 6:53 pm

Seconded for Lamplightes.

-Badger

StickyChron · Post by **StickyChron** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 7:31 pm

Do you have to be somber and serious when you're walking with said lamps? That sounds fun, I'm just not good at being serious.

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 7:38 pm

You will make friends.

jcliff · Post by **jcliff** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 7:43 pm

You don't have to be somber in the procession, but we try not to act like a barrel of monkeys :). The Lamplighting is considered an art piece in itself so we try to go with that vibe. Truthfully, you have to be kind of focused on the task at hand. If you're a carrier you're carrying a pretty heavy load and you have to be careful not to get off balance. Lifting the lamps on the spires goes really fast even though the procession is moving slow. There's not alot of time for whimsical hilarity. Give it a try....I could almost promise you'll really like it. At the very least you'll meet some cool people to celebrate with in the lounge.

Post by **Savannah** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 10:42 pm

I have not found the Lamplighters to be a somber bunch at all, & they tend to get applause, cheers and & hugs. One of 'em kissed me.

(She seemed like a nice girl.)

kirby · Post by **kirby** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 10:49 pm

Are there non-wieght bearing Lamplighter jobs-because I had to crawl around my house on my hands and knees last year and I'm not a submissive-just a bad back.

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 10:52 pm

Greeter?

kirby · Post by **kirby** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 10:53 pm

Apox-I will look for you. How will I know it's you?

Post by **Savannah** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 10:57 pm

He'll be the dusty, tan one.

kirby · Post by **kirby** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 11:09 pm

I'm the dusty, pale one in the blue keffiyeh.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 11:15 pm

Savannah wrote: There's lots of ways to volunteer. See that green margin to the right. You don't have to commit to a lot of hours--in fact, your first time out, it is not recommended. You need time to acclimate. (There are also areas that don't play to the strengths of a first timer--like Greeter, or Post Office, or Playa Info. )

Really?

First job I did on the playa was delivering mail... at night!

Post by **Savannah** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 11:29 pm

I think I would have done okay delivering mail my first year, but I have an unusually good sense of direction, and so I'm hesitant to blithely recommend it to other people.

I hear about folks getting lost on their way back to camp all the time.

(Granted, substances or dust storms are sometimes involved, or somehow, the failure to note one's address in the first place).

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 11:36 pm

People really do lose their camp for the entire event.

The curved roads really fuck with my sense of location.
On some of the actively changing areas, I've gotten lost in a half block.

kirby · Post by **kirby** » Mon Jun 06, 2011 11:55 pm

You're scaring me.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 12:06 am

Just mark the location of your camp carefully, especially if it isn't an easily landmarked location.

People have had good burns and then found their camp as people left.
I tried to help someone locate their camp in an area that built up rapidly.
We narrowed it down, but never found their tent.
We were able to find a relative and they finally connected on playa info.

They had gone out drinking right after they arrived and couldn't find their way back.

Post by **Savannah** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 12:17 am

You're scaring me.

If you have genuine concern, write your address on the back of your hand with a sharpie. It wouldn't be the first time this has been done. You don't have to write in half hour increments. It can be "8:35 and H St".

A virgin of mine got lost in 2001. I hadn't known it was possible . . . the population of the city was less than half of what it is now. People were nice to her, gave her a beverage and a snack and she struck out for home some time later, none the worse for wear.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 12:27 am

An address helps, but you need more with the dense areas.
This seems to be worst with the many smaller tents that can grow before you return, so the appearance has changed.

We narrowed down that person's block, but nothing looked familiar any longer.
Her tent wasn't unusual either.

I've tried to locate friends in similar areas too, usually without success.

Post by **Savannah** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 12:34 am

This is true; I've tried looking for friends from home and never found them even with a camp name and address (to the nearest street + half hour, which is deceptively bad, because it can still mean in 50-100 yards in any of 4 directions from that particular intersection).

Of course, I didn't know what her tent looked like, I didn't check with Playa Info (and they probably didn't register there either), and I only tried for a little while. It wasn't like I was desperate to find my own sleeping quarters, once previously seen.

Finding friends from home--just to do it, not for a specific reason--can be overrated. Unless you have a date to do something special, it's more fun to run into them by accident (which I love!) or compare notes when you get home.

Minxy · Post by **Minxy** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 8:24 am

I love going to Burning Man alone. I miss it, alot.

On losing your camp, I HAVE done that and we had a freakin' RV!

I rode past our camp about 7 times because so many tents had popped up in the hours I was out exploring alone.

I knew the address and everything, it just had completely changed visually. I had been drinking (although I wasn't drunk) and I was exhausted. After what seemed like forever riding around looking, I gave up for a bit and found a good nesting spot at the base of a art project (so to avoid being run over by people/art cars). I curled up in my fur coat, ate some trail mix and had some water and took a nap.

After I woke up I ended up parking my bike and walking around in the tent city. Kept going back to the street intersections on the end of the block I was on to double check the signs and make sure I wasn't off a block...yep, right street! Finally found our camp buried behind a bunch of stuff.

As long as I had supplies with me and proper clothing for the weather it didn't seem like a big deal to me.

I had food, clothing, water, a first aid kit, transportation and a flashlight. I was set!

I gave my boyfriend a scare, although he had faith I'd find my way back. Apparently he was out for hours looking for me when I didn't show up. Poor guy. =/ He probably rode right past me curled up in a ball sleeping.

kirby · Post by **kirby** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 1:39 pm

That's good to hear, that you liked going alone and miss it.
Going alone will force me to reach out...and I want to be forced to reach out, so that's a good thing.
I will practice radical self-reliance at every moment of the day or night.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 2:09 pm

You can go all week and not see anyone you already know, without a special effort or a common location, no matter how many you know.

I always think I'll have a chance for longer conversations, but it rarely works that way.
Those seem to happen off the playa.

When I first arrived, someone told me,"Burning man is going to blow your mind."
I ust smiled.

Late in the week, we went across town and people I didn't know a week before were waving and saying hi as we went by.
He said it looked like I kind of dove in.

Lord Of Ruin · Post by **Lord Of Ruin** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 2:53 pm

Damn. I saw the thread title and came in here to have a brisk discussion of the wonderful music of Eric Carmen.

<kicks>

LoR

Apox · Post by **Apox** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 5:55 pm

kirby wrote:Apox-I will look for you. How will I know it's you?

Ill be there handing out lei's!! (cause I live in hawaii... just seems to fit)

robbidobbs · Post by **robbidobbs** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 6:13 pm

You are welcome to participate in the Pottie-Project.
It is a 4 hour shift, virgins most welcome.
You get to see the entire City, riding around in the Poop-mobile, and do a very excruciatingly critical job of educating the poop-ulation about Excremental Correctness. You get fed at the Komissary, and get a cool t-shirt.
Please read more on All about participating on the pottie-project thread.

Good luck!
RobbiDobbs
Chief Poopervisor of the Pottie Project

All By Myself

All By Myself

Lamplighter Jobs For Light Weights