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So I've considered attending these sorts of things for a while. And honestly, I think I'd be a good fit, based on what I've read about the sort of people camps look for. I'm cooperative, easygoing, helpful, and I like contributing to common goals. I have more experience in nature/camping than 99% of people and am well versed in LNT. I have a fair bit of experience doing diy projects, and am at least somewhat competent with carpentry, electrical work, plumbing, welding, and building/deconstructing temporary structures. I'm a big wall climber and am rope access certified, and am good at solving problems of moving heavy things where I need them or using leverage and ropes to exert lots of force. And I have the sort of athleticism that lets me do manual labor in the hot sun all day. For all practical purposes, I think I'd be a great addition to most people's camp.
But this bit is honestly terrifying. Really, I never really "got" the appeal of festivals... you just show up at a place and... look at things? Talk to people? Based on pics and videos I've seen of these events, the art looks cool. And the people I've met who are burners are cool people. But I feel a kind of existential dread that once the work is done and it is time to "enjoy" the event, I'll just end up walking around, looking at things, being like "that's cool", awkwardly talking to no one or having very shallow, surface level conversations, and being bored.
So I challenge you: convince me that going to one of these events will be a good time.
Lol, your last paragraph resonates. I'll probably have more to say about it once I've actually done it, but that's basically the risk - either you'll go, get out of your shell a bit, and have a good time, or you'll be kinda bored and anxious.
Will say that based on your skill set, you'd probably do well with the crew that goes out and does initial setup or a bigger, more involved camp. In doing the grunt work, you'd likely make a connection with those folks which will help bolster the social experience of it all.
I think you should give something like this a shot - worst you could say is you tried it out, and had a meh time. But it could be awesome - I've yet to see someone talk about a festival like this and say "Yeah, I went - I was bored and lonely as shit".
Dunno if you're still looking for input, but I did say I'd have more to say about this once I did it, so here it is:
I helped show someone to one of the camps when I was wandering about, and they gave me a great piece of advice: you can think of burns basically as a giant version of the smoke pit outside a rave or a club. Everyone's having a good time, and 99% of people are open to whatever kind of pro-social interaction from the other participants.
Beyond this, unless people at theme camps are literally knee-deep in logistics/organizing specific stuff, they want you to talk with them. They want you to eat and drink the stuff they have on offer, sit in their plounges gabbing about whatever, poking the interactive stuff they made, asking random questions or sharing random stories (a good story is a gift!), etc. Basically, it's a safe assumption that people will act like they (and in 99.9% of cases truly do) want you there being part of the action, as your most authentic self.
If you're anything like me - a little more on the introverted side in unfamilar surroundings - it's a bit of an adjustment. If you want to be left alone and communicate this, people will leave you alone. But if you want to participate, you will be welcomed with open arms, even if you're a little awkward. 'We welcome the stranger', at least in my experience with the burn I went to, isn't just lip service. It's true.
Even if we put all of that aside, you know what's cool? Seeing a giant ass structure doused in accelerants go up in flames. The burns went incredibly well, and it was certainly something to see in its own right.
Bro - pull the trigger on this. I really do think you'd have a good time.
Damn, there's a local think happening near me in a couple days, but I already signed up for some shifts at work. But thanks for the encouragement! I'll look into it more!