Hey friends!

[RayMcKay]

Hey ladies and gents!

Decided to sign up on the forum and learn about Burning Man a little more. Ever since Shambhala 2010 (a music festival in British Columbia) I've been on an urge to check out all the coolest festivals. Next year will be my first year going to this, and I would love to get some criticism on what other first timers thought? I was supposed to go last year but nobody wanted to last minute, grr haha. This year when people ask what I'm doing at the end of August, I can say "Oh nothing really, just hanging out in the Nevada desert

I'm kind of curious, is anybody else that's attending in 2012 coming from British Columbia?

[Savannah]

Hi Ray!

Get used to people backing out of going to Burning Man, especially new folks (typically around June, the "I'm doing WHAT?" tends to hit people square in the face). The work and the expense start to hit home for many, around then . . . though the biggest challenge is often the fear of the unknown. So being ready to go solo or meet up with a camp on-playa is good; so is being captain of your own ship, transportation-wise, and/or being ready to post to the rideshare board in July or August if you have a large vehicle (and know that you can fit someone else in there even after adding your water and shade).

You can meet BC burners here (it's just from the "Regionals" link at the top of the main site):

http://regionals.burningman.com/ca_bc.html

Here's a video of first time experience I like. It doesn't show any of the great conversations a person can get into out there, or many of the profound things that (may or may not) happen to a person, which are impossible to sum up properly, but the look on the guy's face when he points the camera at himself, well--that's a familiar look, a look that many Burners have felt out there, and seeing it reflected on his face . . . continues to blow me away:

[youtube][/youtube]

Welcome.

[Drawingablank]

Welcome to eplaya.

[Elderberry]

Hey there, welcome to eplaya!

[illy dilly]

Hey Ray McKay (thats fun to say!!!!)

Welcome to eplaya!

There are a lot of folks from British Columbia, and most parts of Canada.
Yeah, don't count on most people actually going.... until they've been once, then most folks do everything in their power to return year after year.
Last year we had about 20 people in our camp in January....
25 in April
15 in June
10 in July
13 at the start of August
and 16 about half way through the week+ plus a couple folks that weren't "camped" with us but sure did spend A LOT of time in our camp.

[illy dilly]

Here's a video of first time experience I like.

Hey Savannah,
In that video there are a few girls wearing Red life guard Bikinis, kinda like the one you had.
Was there some sorta pre-organized 'life guard' day or theme camp type thing?
Or...

[Savannah]

The camp with the lifeguard tower is called The Playa Surfers. I don't know if any of them are lifeguards, but they're very interested in literally surfing the playa (on self-powered and bike-powered boards).

I was hoping they were there this year, 'cause at minimum, I wanted my picture taken in uniform at their guard tower.

(There was another camp with lifeguard chairs, but I didn't have time to visit.)

[RayMcKay]

Thanks for all the responses and information! If it came down to it, and nobody wanted to go with me again this year. I think I may just go solo and make friends down there, or try to leave with some people from BC, and develop friendship along the way! I hope everyone is as friendly as they are at Shambhala. That place is nuts, the most down to earth people ever. Everyone you walk by has a smile and greets you, it's just amazing. I love all the contraptions, and things they have around at Burning Man. I hope i have a good camera by then to capture all the neat things going on. I kind of want to bring a nice camera, and put together a little video of my first trip

[illy dilly]

I hope i have a good camera by then to capture all the neat things going on. I kind of want to bring a nice camera, and put together a little video of my first trip

O man, virgin videos are the best!
Ya know, my sister picked up a cheap, $35 at least for a digital camera, at wally world. It takes really good pictures from like 1ft - 100'ish feet away. Past about 100 feet things seem to not focus real well. Its a great little pocket sized point and shoot, and perfect for the playa.

The camp with the lifeguard tower is called The Playa Surfers. I don't know if any of them are lifeguards, but they're very interested in literally surfing the playa (on self-powered and bike-powered boards).

I was hoping they were there this year, 'cause at minimum, I wanted my picture taken in uniform at their guard tower

I can dig it. Did you get the picture?
I thought maybe there was another 'record breaking gathering' of life guards or something along those lines.

Last year, there was a 'lifeguard' on duty. She did a great job of saving me from 'drowning' in the playa dust.