Planning.
Last Year: Started planning in February. Seriously.
This year: Just pulled out our playafied clothes & gear, with 7 days to prepare.
Research.
Last Year: Researched everything from ePlaya to Regional Events to videos to pictures to books to Tribes to anything we could get our hands on.
This year: Checked 2 days ago to see what price the tickets were.
Gear.
Last Year: 2 Large Freezers of Food/drinks/Dry Ice, Tent, Stakes, Tarp, Queen-size mattress, 2 shelving units, fans, 3 tubs of clothes/gear/??, 2 bikes, lawn chairs, tons of extra shit, 30 gallons of water, 4 bottles of alcohol, and more...
This year: Maybe 1/5 of that. We will miss the queen size bed. LOL
Duration.
Last Year: Monday Morning thru Sunday Afternoon.
This year: Wednesday Night thru Sat, maybe Sunday, depending on how much the burn changes in vibe from mostly burners to mostly weekend warriors.
Cost.
Last Year: $90 or $95/ticket (can't remember). Scholarship tickets.
This year: $300/ticket.
Motives.
Last Year: Over-prepare, party our asses off and dive into the unknown.
This year: Look for the special, not-so-obvious gems, inside and outside of the city, take time to connect with real people, open our mind to new experiences, and try not to follow any type of agenda...
Coordination Plans.
Last Year: Looked for everyone we had met previous to going to Burning Man. Only found one person out of 30+, and that was on Saturday, in the middle of the dust storm.
This year: Purposely going to be hard to find. Kinda.
Suggestions to other 1st timers.
Last Year: We were noobs. Just glad nobody thought we were...
This year: 1. Be over-prepared. Don't be a burden to someone else. Gift everything you don't end up using. 2. DO NOT have any expectations. You WILL be disappointed, and won't be able to let the UNEXPECTED things move in and create unforgettable experiences. 3. If you're not camping with a camp, find one if possible. Not a new camp this year, but an established one that you click with, and can help you if you run into challenges. Stuff WILL happen that you didn't plan for. 4. Read the survival guide. Know it. Live it. Or karma will kick your ass all over the playa. 5. Participate AND HYDRATE! Lack of water leads to aggravation and people will NOT want to be around you! and Lastly - 6. If you're coming with your significant other, set your rules ahead of time for interactions with other burners, setup dates to meet your S.O. (and be there on time) and setup times to explore on your own (if you both choose too), and stick to whatever you BOTH decide. Or you might finding yourself single or on the road to divorce when you leave.
GageNdG, looking forward to the randomness and potentially meeting you, or not, or maybe...
