How did I end up there?

Some of you who know me might be wondering "What the...he's going...camping?" And you would be right because having to deal with roughing it in the great outdoors was definitely the major factor that would have kept me from attending.

I had heard of Burning Man a few years ago and had dabbled with the idea of going to see what all the hubbub was about but each year would easily bring enough reasons not to go. But this year would be different. Since I would be gainfully unemployed during Burning Man I was finding it more difficult to come up with reasons to miss it again. Still, with the spectre of living away from modern conveniences looming large the decision to go would not be a slam dunk. There would be camping supplies to procure, food to gather, and transportation to arrange plus there would be all of the stuff that I didn't even know about yet. Even with a free schedule this was still an exercise in fence riding. So what got me over the edge?

Let's go back to the summer of 2006. A friend of a friend was hosting a party and I was assisting with running a poker game at it. Yes, shocking, I know. Two of the guests at the party were Joe and Laraine who did catering and were being retained by one of the camps at Burning Man 2006. I tried to glean as much information as I could about what it was like to go but since they were rookies I didn't pick up too much information. All previous year's excuses for not going still applied and once again, the festival came and went and I had managed to successfully avoid going. Then some months later I ended up going to a concert with a group that included Laraine and I tried to wring out some more information to see what I'd been missing. We got started talking but one thing led to another and the music started playing so I ended up having my appetite for information whetted but not sated.

Jump forward to summer 2007. I am busy with my pseudo-retirement and once again get the itch to go see what Burning Man is all about. I have a friend, Violette, who is also interested in going for the first time. Having someone else jump in with you makes things a little easier so the inertia is already building. I check out their website to find out more information and am dismayed that their page for first-timers has a ton of links including one for the survival guide which has a bazillion links itself. Information on handling grey water, tips on what kind of food to bring, storm emergency instructions, etc. If they are trying to intimidate casual spectators in an attempt to dissuade them from attending then it is definitely working on me. Inertia has tapered off. I meet with a former co-worker who had attended multiple times to try to get more information. He tells me even more gory detail about things that I hadn't even thought about yet while also piquing my interest with information about the cool stuff that goes on there. Inertia is wavering.

I hear through the grapevine that Laraine and Joe are going to be doing catering again so I figure maybe if I held up a cardboard sign that said "Will work in kitchen for passage to Burning Man" that I might find a way to remove some of my excuses for not going. I email Laraine with some questions and my proposal to work in exchange for attending the event. In response to my ambivalence she says first and foremost "just go" and adds that they would be willing to take me on as help but proceeded to give the most unflattering description of stuff that I'd be doing. After more email exchange it looks like another option would be to join their camp and pay my way instead of working so I do what any reasonable businessman would do and throw money at the problem to make it go away. I check out the camp's website and find that I can buy in at various different levels of comfort depending on which amenities I want: food/water, electricity, private porta-potties, showers, etc. Not surprisingly I am figuring myself for the top end of the scale. Keep in mind that I actually have done camping before. Granted it was back in junior high school but I'm no stranger to surviving the outdoors plus I can sleep anywhere so I'm not really worried about that part of the equation. The primary blocking issue is sustenance and joining a camp that would supply fuel seems to be the solution I'm looking for. Furthermore, the camp would be offering vegan options which addresses Violette's dietary needs. Momentum is once again shifted into forward gear and is gaining speed.

Now that I see light at the end of the tunnel, I head back to the Burning Man website to check out the ticket situation. Yes, you need tickets to get in. I skim the page and see a lot of dates that are now in the rear-view mirror and I've missed the opportunity to buy the cheapest tickets. Just like airlines, concerts, and pay-per-view events, the earlier you buy the better off you are. The price increases as the event gets closer and if you want to pay worst case scenario rack rate you can just wait and pay at the gate. Enthusiasm wanes slightly since the tickets I buy will necessarily be held at the will call window since they don't mail them out after a certain date and I have heard unpleasant stories about the wait at the will call line. Over the next couple of days I digest this new information while lining my ducks up in a row. I shoot emails left and right. Head to websites and the bookstore to try to soak up as much information as I can before committing to going. With the major roadblocks being removed it appears that I will not be able to generate enough excuses to skip this year. I still have some trepidations but undeterred and with inertia still going the right way I unsheath my trusty Visa card and with two majestic virtual swipes, I have ordered entry tickets and paid for camp spots.

The trigger has been pulled.