Oh hello!

sunrae · Post by **sunrae** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 7:48 am

Hello everybody! Nice to cyber-meet you. I'm Sunrae... and I'm really excited to be here. I've browsed the site before a few times and finally decided to set up an account as this will be my first year going to Burning Man. I haven't bought my tickets yet but I plan on getting them as soon as a good opportunity presents itself. I'm so excited. I'm looking forward to getting some helpful hints and meeting some friendly beautiful people, both on this site and in person on the Playa! <3 :P

Post by **Elderberry** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 8:21 am

Hey there, welcome to eplaya!

illy dilly · Post by **illy dilly** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 8:26 am

Welcome Sunrae!
Tell us a little about your self!
Where ya from?

Who ya traveling with?

How'd you hear about Burning Man?

That sorta stuff.

Elliot · Post by **Elliot** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 8:51 am

Welcome Sunrae!

You can find plenty of helpful hints and such on this forum, so keep reading. You will also see a lot of snark, as well as idle chatter, but that's just the local sport.

You want to read the Survival Guide on the main web site. And there is a lot more info there also. And you might want to subscribe to "Jackrabbit Speaks", the official e-mail newsletter, also on the main web site.

Don't wait too long to buy your tickets -- they are selling fast this year.

mudpuppy000 · Post by **mudpuppy000** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 10:30 am

Welcome!

sunrae · Post by **sunrae** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 12:21 pm

Thanks everybody!

I'm 23, from Massachusetts. My roommate went to BM last year and it changed her life. I am moving to California in three weeks, and after a month long bike tour up the Pacific Coast I am going to find work somewhere in Northern California, settle in and then wait for the burn. Can't wait! I am an avid hooper, writer, reader, pretender, singer, dancer, lover..... and the list goes on. I am trying to simplify my life right now by getting rid of most of my material possessions and getting rid of my debt (student loans.... bleh) but it is hard in this day and age. Hopefully I'll be there soon.
<3

illy dilly · Post by **illy dilly** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 12:33 pm

Good Luck!
Sounds like one hell of a journey!

If it takes you a bit longer to find a job than anticipated, will you be able to foot the bill for the burn? If its none of my business, you can tell me to 'shut the hell up nosy Nancy!'

sunrae · Post by **sunrae** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 1:19 pm

Haha, it's okay nosy Nancy. I'm a pretty open person....
I have some money saved up in preparation of not working this summer since I'll be touring on my bike.... although it will be pretty tight. However, since I will be in a tent all summer, that eliminates rent... since I'm on a bike, that eliminates gas.... The people that I am going with are musicians that are bringing a tour bus, so that eliminates a lot of necessary things I would need to buy for the burn...
But all in all, money will definitely be tight. I'm trying to stay optimistic though since I probably won't know for sure what i going to happen until I am actually there. I'm thinking positive to attract all things positive! hehe :-) As long as I have food in my belly and some sort of shelter (tents work) I'm a happy camper. Literally! 8)

Post by **Savannah** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 1:54 pm

Hi Sunrae!

Read the Survival Guide, if nothing else (last year's, but relevant):
http://www.burningman.com/preparation/e ... index.html

And save more than you think you're going to need. Just in case.

sunrae · Post by **sunrae** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 2:35 pm

thanks for the advice everybody!

illy dilly · Post by **illy dilly** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 4:50 pm

You're ballsy!

I don't think I'd be willing to head out to the playa with just tent, food, water, and bike. I have piles of camping gear I take just for 'what if' scenarios that I have used maybe once or twice in years of camping. And some of that stuff I inherited with my camping gear, and I've never used it. And there is other stuff in the camping gear that is for Mountain camping that does me no good at Bman.

Do you have your ticket yet?

sunrae · Post by **sunrae** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 5:00 pm

haha! I guess I wasn't very clear with my response. I didn't mean that I am only taking those things to the playa-- I meant that I will be living very minimally with only those things for the entire summer leading up to BM... so I will be able to save my money. I'll be sleeping on the bus on the Playa and I have a whole trunk of stuff that I am preparing to bring. I WISH I were that ballsy though... probably would have some pretty cool life stories :-)

illy dilly · Post by **illy dilly** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 5:06 pm

I don't know, man.
Godda have balls if you plan to spend your summer riding a bike up the coast, sleeping in a tent for weeks on end!

What are ya gonna eat?
I figure on a bike you can probably only carry 1 pot or pan?

I'll bet you're gonna have some pretty kick ass stories when the whole summer is over!

sunrae · Post by **sunrae** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 5:16 pm

haha yeah, I'll be able to carry one pot and one burner.... I'm biking with a friend so between the two of us we will have a 1 person tent which we are sharing, a couple of sheets, the cooking equipment, our toiletries, 2 biking outfits and 2 regular outfits, and all of our bike equipment.... food will be lots of dried fruits, nuts, dehydrated meats, oats, canned fish..... its gonna get boring after a while but that's what taco stands are for I guess :-) It is going to be super intense, especially when we get close to San Francisco since it gets sooooo hilly.... we are also totally going the wrong way, because most people ride from North to South (which just doesn't jive with our overall plans). So we will pretty much have the wind in our faces. It's actually insane, but I can't wait! hehe :-)

illy dilly · Post by **illy dilly** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 5:23 pm

Yep.... Ballsy!

Thats just crazy! More power to you! I hope the whole thing goes very well and kicks ass the whole time! Thats one hell of a way to spend Summer.

Where will you start and whats your destination?
How long will the whole thing take over all?
If you leave your truck/trailer where you start, is someone gonna drive it up to your destination?

sunrae · Post by **sunrae** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 5:35 pm

I'm not going to have a truck or trailer or anything... I'm moving to Cali from Massachusetts after this whole thing.... basically, I'm still here in Mass packing everything I own up, which fits into 8 small boxes and a trunk. I'm flying to San Diego in 2 and a half weeks with my bike and 1 box full of the gear for the trip.... then we are going up the coast all the way to Humboldt. I think its somewhere around 1000 miles.... It should take us about 3 weeks or so. Then I'm going to just kind of float around for a while, looking for housing and jobs... I'll be staying with a good friend probably for most of the time up until Burning Man, unless I can secure housing before then. Once I'm all settled, the rest of my boxes will be shipped out to me. It is going to be crazy for sure.
I actually have a car that is already out in Cali, which the close friend who I'll be staying with is using until I get there. My sister's boyfriend drove it out there in May for a road trip.
The more I write about this on this forum, the crazier I think I am!

Post by **Savannah** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 5:43 pm

Naw, you're not the craziest we've seen, unless you're biking all the way to the Burn, which illy dilly was worried about for a reason! Virgins raise the idea of biking to the Burn every year.

I have seen only one bicyclist receive support for the idea in years, because he's (I believe) a seasoned veteran, and he's not coming down the 447 or from Reno. He's taking an unpaved, unlit, deserted route, where he is still slightly less likely to die . . . well, by being crushed by a box truck, anyway.

illy dilly · Post by **illy dilly** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 5:50 pm

No no no! All sorts of sane people spends three weeks living in a tent, riding their bike all day, eating all sorts of dry fruits, and then just 'float' around for a while, and typically when you ask them they 'choose to be homeless' too!

I'm totally joking!

It sounds like you have a very well put together plan! And if living the simple life for a couple months is what ya need then do it. Ya godda do what Ya godda do!

And, if something does go terribly wrong, your good friend already has your car to come pick you up in an emergency.

Sorry, I got the truck/trailer thing confused. Sorta cross posted with no idea what I was talking about!

sunrae · Post by **sunrae** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 5:50 pm

holy crap! yeah, I'm not that crazy. I'd love to talk to that guy though. Or at least shake his hand

Post by **Savannah** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 7:47 pm

It's this guy.

4 pages of discussion. I suppose a lot of people will look forward to shaking his hand, provided they can find him.

http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic.php?t=39392

We took this road in 2001 by accident in a little four door sedan, because it looked shorter on the map (and were years away from reading ePlaya, if it existed then). Pitch dark, fraught with sharp rocks, edges of the dirt road barely visible, and harassed by no less than 136 kamikaze jackrabbits, 3 of whom seemed to meet their ends under the wheels, though we'll never know for sure. I imagine we were going 20 or 30 mph tops--it was all that was possible. It's a wonder we didn't get a flat. Even people in off-road vehicles usually avoid Jungo Road.

illy dilly · Post by **illy dilly** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 1:38 pm

That guy is pretty ballsy too!