Any hope at all?

[indienial]

Hi,
I know I'm not the only person in the ticket-less boat, but I'm trying to come up with desperate strategies to get two tickets instead of just the one we *may or may not* get through STEPS.

My fiance and I live in Australia and we planned our entire wedding around Burning Man dates so we could spend our honeymoon there - we've never had the time off to go before, and we've wanted to go for longer than we've even known each other!

Seriously, we've been planning this to be our honeymoon for so long that the thought of missing out on tickets ... well, it just didn't occur to us. When we started planning, 2011 hadn't even sold out yet, let alone 2012! So we figured in a worst-case scenario (and not to encourage this) we would at least be able to get scalped tickets, no matter what they cost. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for us.

But now... it looks like we're well and truly stuck. Does anyone have any hope they can offer?
Sorry to add a story to the pile of woe. We're just really hoping someone will have a brainwave...
Indie

[trilobyte]

Man, talk about setting some tough expectations… what if one (or the both) of you ends up not really connecting with the event when you get out here? Do you call the wedding off, or do you go forward with something at least one of you isn't going to be happy with? I'm not sure how much of the preparation materials you've read, but conditions out there can put serious strain on what may otherwise be solid relationships - seems like being first time burners and the added dimension of doing the wedding thing is just asking for trouble. Best of luck to you though.

As far as chances, they're slim. The ticket exchange will not be a magic solution that makes enough tickets appear. Other tickets may become available once fulfillment happens in June (before then, even the people offering scalped tickets on the internet don't actually have the ability to transfer a ticket to you).

If you want to steam ahead, you guys may want to consider alternative or backup plans.

[theCryptofishist]

Indie
Many of us think that tickets will suddenly start appearing in the late spring/early summer (northern hemisphere) when people suddenly realize that they bit off more than they could chew. So, some of us think that we could get tickets then.

It becomes a question that you want to ask yourselves. How much risk are you willing to take? Do you want to buy plane tickets without event tickets? If you don't get event tickets are you willing to go to Vegas or LA or Taos or the Grand Canyon or just on a "where our whims take us" road trip? Or is the only thing you are willing to do in the western united states the burn? Not getting you tickets, I know, but I hope asking some questions that will bring you clarity about your next move.

[Savannah]

Hi Indie,

From "Ticket Update: Rebuilding Black Rock City 2012" at the main site:

WHO: Only registrants who did not get tickets in the Main Sale will be eligible to register for tickets through STEP … if you fall into this category, you will receive an email inviting you to register. Registration will place you in a first-come first-served queue, and you will be offered a ticket when one becomes available through the system. You may only purchase one ticket through STEP; this ticket is non-transferable and can only be held at Will Call. A STEP ticket is only for you. [ADDED 2/15/12: 9:18 PM PST: We recognize the one-per person will dramatically effect the plans and intentions of those who originally ordered 2 tickets and didn't scam the system with a back-up order and were then rejected. We WILL look at whether there is any breathing room to this policy before we engage the final implementation. However, this decision was reached with a significant number of dependent variables and won't be easy to change.]

More here: http://blog.burningman.com/2012/02/news ... city-2012/

Wait to see what happens in STEP on and after Wednesday, February 29th. And tell your friends you're looking, so that if they hear of anything, they'll think of you. You never know. But yeah . . . back up plans may be needed.

The best of luck to you and your fiancé, and welcome to the board.

[moonrise]

The hive mind says: please don't support (scum bag, profiteering) scalpers. It might just help loosen up tix in June, after they're mailed out.

Also, it's extremely risky to buy tix from scalpers online. The boards are littered with countless heart breaking stories of people being ripped off.

Not sure it helps, but there's speculation the demand has simply out-stripped supply and scalpers may not even be the problem.

Hopefully tix will flow your way, in June or sooner. Good luck with your search, I think there is hope but only time will tell.

[hotmess]

I would take Trilobyte's words of wisdom to heart. While the idea of doing a honeymoon in BRC sounds amazing you may be biting of more then you can chew. I have gone multiple times without my boyfriend and it has been tough but I got through it. This year with any luck he will coming with me which adds a whole anther dimension to the burn. While we have been together for 4 years taking him out to the burn will be completely new for both of us. I know that we will get through it together but then again IT IS THE PLAYA. I might suggest a relaxing honeymoon this year. Enjoy the bliss of the wedding and then see where you are next year. Especially with the ticket situation this year not being that ideal it is a big commitment and expense without having a guaranteed ticket. Congratulations!!!! I know whatever you end up doing it will be beautiful.

[indienial]

Man, talk about setting some tough expectations… what if one (or the both) of you ends up not really connecting with the event when you get out here? ... I'm not sure how much of the preparation materials you've read, but conditions out there can put serious strain on what may otherwise be solid relationships - seems like being first time burners and the added dimension of doing the wedding thing is just asking for trouble. Best of luck to you though.

Hey there Trilobyte & Hotmess. I understand your concerns. But we've done a LOT of travel together in some very harsh climates (we're Australian, we definitely know about harsh climates and desert conditions), and we've always come through it stronger than ever. We wouldn't have even thought of it if we hadn't thought we'd be able to cope and indeed thrive. We might be newbs to the Playa but we're not newbs to tough conditions and life-changing experiences. And yes, we've both read every single piece of BM literature and scores of personal accounts. You might think we're asking for trouble, but you don't know us.

I also need to make it clear that BM was planned as PART of our honeymoon - not the whole thing. We will have some lovely relaxing time built in both before and afterwards. But it is a MAJOR part and it is something we have independently planned and dreamed about for almost a decade.

We are still working out an alternative plan in case we really can't get tickets. But it just means so much to us to be there. Alternative options would probably involve doing a roadtrip up the US west coast and going to a regional Burn event, if we could. We decided we will likely book flights etc anyway - if we get tickets by magic when we are over there, great. If we don't, well, our honeymoon changes into a roadtrip and we can see what happens in future years. But it's pretty unlikely we'd be able to have this opportunity again.

Thanks Savannah and the Cryptofishist - we will definitely be keeping our fingers crossed and using our networks.

[hotmess]

You have my blessings!!!! Best of luck to you. I do hope you can make it. Might I suggest if you are out west and in California a trip to Big Sur would be a great place to relax. I would suggest checking out Esalen. They have a incredible bath house on the bluffs of big sur that look out over the ocean with natural hot springs jetting right out of the stone. Fingers crossed you find 2 tickets and make it the honeymoon you have always wanted.

[mdmf007]

Sounds cool. Have fun and the best advice I can give about getting a ticket is to be diligent once they begin becoming available.

[ranger magnum]

And if you cant get to the playa, may I suggest Jimbo's Tacos in Auburn. Amazing.

Seriously, my girl and I call Burningman home, as it is where we connected back in 07, so I get its importance to you. However to do the playa well, one needs to make some serious plans in advance. So whatever plans you make (such as rv rental) make sure they can be employed somewhere else, like Vegas, or Tahoe, or wherever.

[indienial]

Thanks Hotmess. Big Sur is on the agenda either way, so we appreciate the recommendation! Those natural hot springs sound amazing. We'll also be looking at doing a roadtrip and spending some time in Yellowstone National Park (and waaaay in the other direction, we may also look at Yosemite).

[indienial]

Thanks for being so helpful, everyone. It's one of the appealing things about BM!

We've actually got family over there who are helping us - we're planning on buying a vehicle and converting it to live in for the trip. We've done that before with great success, and we've got the conversion down to a fine (and quick) art. We actually drove around New Zealand in a converted minivan and it worked really well. I know not many rental places will let you take vehicles onto the Playa and because we'll actually be in the US for about 8 weeks all up, it makes sense. But if it's looking shakey we will look at rental options.

We're right into self-sufficiency/LNT culture, and with the help of our family and friends in California (who share our interests), we're pretty optimistic that it will come together. *IF* we get the tickets!

[Marscrumbs]

Lots of folks get married at Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe. It's very traditional...and wetter that the black rock desert.

[socks]

This ticket thing has caused so much pain.

[Canoe]

Always a chance.
There's the appearance that a number of entries to the lottery were done on whim, and will come available later.

to many people, considering spending a week living in the desert with drunk naked people who are playing with fire, triggers the question "is this a good idea"...

[Herring]

It's not just the tough environment that makes the burn difficult for couples.

If one of you gets tired and the other wants a nap, and the napper wakes up and can't find the new spouse anywhere, in a 50,000 person city with no cell phones that can take a while. Do you give up your plans for the evening and wait, or do you go out? And when the other person comes back to find the napper gone, do they do the same? Remember, you're tired and dehydrated and inebriated so it's easy to get very snippy very quickly.

There's also a looser definition of monogamy out there. Can your spouse kiss other people while you're there? Will either of you get embarrassingly angry at onlookers when the two of you walk around naked? Is it okay for her to give others permission to touch her breasts? And is okay for any of this to happen when either of you is without the other?

I'm assuming you're doing premarital counseling (because everybody should) but this is the kind of stuff should be sorted out before you get out there.

Otherwise look for tickets in June-July when those that bought them just in case back out.

[mshaman]

It's not just the tough environment that makes the burn difficult for couples.

If one of you gets tired and the other wants a nap, and the napper wakes up and can't find the new spouse anywhere, in a 50,000 person city with no cell phones that can take a while. Do you give up your plans for the evening and wait, or do you go out? And when the other person comes back to find the napper gone, do they do the same? Remember, you're tired and dehydrated and inebriated so it's easy to get very snippy very quickly.

There's also a looser definition of monogamy out there. Can your spouse kiss other people while you're there? Will either of you get embarrassingly angry at onlookers when the two of you walk around naked? Is it okay for her to give others permission to touch her breasts? And is okay for any of this to happen when either of you is without the other?

I'm assuming you're doing premarital counseling (because everybody should) but this is the kind of stuff should be sorted out before you get out there.

Otherwise look for tickets in June-July when those that bought them just in case back out.

Agreed this stuff should be sorted out. But your sense of context on the playa is so different, that you'll probably have to renegotiate your agreements when you get there. All the rules change on the playa. What happens at BM stays at BM, and you'll see stuffy middle-class couples doing crazy naked shit out in the sand. heh. Know yourself, know your priorities, and be prepared to grow them when you get there.

[mshaman]

And just for the record, no. There is no hope at all. This is the apocalypse.

[AntiM]

Yellowstone is amazing, but it does get crowded that time of year. Reservations for campsites go quickly. Check out Southern Utah as an alternative too, we have five national parks of outstanding beauty.

But hey, you'll find a way.

[A Jester]

You might think we're asking for trouble, but you don't know us.

Just so you know, this attitude is what's going to fuck you up.

Have a little fear. Go, go for sure. You both have been wanting to go for years. Fuck it, just go.

Of course, you might end up damaging your relationship. So, if you want to protect your relationship figure out some way to keep you both happy.

IMO what ruins relationships out there is missed expectations. So, I suggest having one day that's "two of us" day. Negotiate everything you do. Then have one day that's 'We go do whatever he wants.' Follow that with 'we go do whatever she wants'. Then 'solo day'. Rinse, lather, repeat.

Or fuck it, do what everyone else does, figure you'll be fine and ... well, you'll find out one way or the other.

Don't listen to these sissies that think it might break you up, just because it's broken up so many other people. So what? If you break up you were probably going to break up eventually, and you might as well find out sooner than later!

[lucky420]

mshaman
What happens at BM stays at BM

mmm not always

[playabike]

My honeymoon was BM '06, and it did nothing but good for us. And we had 0 experience in harsh conditions or even camping at all which caused no end of difficulties and lost sleep as the playa had its way with us and our mostly destroyed tent, etc. But that ended up being the most fun of all in hindsight. I can't believe how lacking in dust storms the last two years have been, I actually have really missed a good white-out.

As others have noted there are relationship pitfalls lurking out there in the desert, don't discount this. But imho if you're with the right person you don't even notice them and you just have a blast. I'm also with A Jester when he says:

Don't listen to these sissies that think it might break you up, just because it's broken up so many other people. So what? If you break up you were probably going to break up eventually, and you might as well find out sooner than later!

[Savannah]

Hi,
I know I'm not the only person in the ticket-less boat, but I'm trying to come up with desperate strategies to get two tickets instead of just the one we *may or may not* get through STEPS.

Update, as you may have seen by now. 2 tickets may be available via STEP if you registered for two in the Main Sale.

http://blog.burningman.com/2012/02/news ... cy-change/

[Gravybrain]

mshaman
What happens at BM stays at BM

mmm not always

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