“We have been placed!!! 4:45 and Jove. Co grata everyone. And they have us more space – 150×50 feet,” wrote our camp leader Sara, who has been to Burningman multiple times and appreciates the extra space in this city in the Black Rock Desert. Our camp sits on the outer rim of the horseshoe and consists of seven miles of named streets. Our camp-mates are on a Facebook page with all the camps in that sector, so it has been fun to look at the activities that will be offered.

The 2019 Metamorphoses theme selected the following names for their streets:

• Esplanade
• Andromeda
• Bacchus
• Cupid
• Diana
• Echo
• Fortuna
• Ganymede
• Hyacinth
• Icarus
• Jove
• Kronos
• Labyrinth

The souls belonging to “Camp Nailed It” will be a group of thirteen from all walks of life, most of whom I have not met. Bubbly, effervescent Sara is the camp organizer and good friend of my eldest daughter and husband, who will be there, as well as my second daughter. Teri and I are excited about getting to know the people in our own camp, as well as those we meet on our journeys every day. Meeting new faces from all over the world excites me most about this adventure!

Most of our fellow camp-mates are from California, so we are on the receiving end of their organizational skills, equipment storage, and distribution. Memos, conference calls and one on one meetings for planning have occurred over the last few months to gather tarps, tents, coolers, furniture, rugs, shade structures, generators, outdoor shower, food, water, and other necessities, which will be trucked into the campsite. Teri and I will miss the set-up and tear-down of “Camp Nailed It”, as we bus in days after the opening day, but have been offered the job as ice-bearers for the camp.

We have been told the only two things that cost money at this event are ice and coffee. No money is exchanged within the confines of Burningman, and the traditional gifting from each camp can vary from a party to make-up, drinks, jewelry, massages, yoga lessons, TED talks, help with a flat tire, or a shoulder to cry on. In our own camp, two people will be dealing with death and grieving with those who need to discuss these issues. (We both know we will have some eye-opening experiences in relation to walks of life that may not be familiar to us.)

As the days get closer and I picture Teri and I either walking or biking around the Playa, I wonder to myself– how do we choose where to stop? How much will we actually be able to take in? Will we be able to stay awake long enough each night to enjoy the city alive with lights or will the heat wilt us like old flowers? Will the vibrations from the music camps seep through our bodies as we try to nap to keep up? Will we really get to the point that showers will seem pointless and hair don’t care attitude is firmly in place? The answer to these burning questions remain. Stay tuned.

We have been like little giggling schoolgirls ever since we began our plans to go to Burningman (google www.Burningman.org). Two gray-haired virgin burners with a penchant for costumes and design, watching every video we can possibly watch; reading all the “Jackrabbit Speaks” newsletters that arrive in our e-mail boxes; rabidly perusing Pinterest for ideas on new outfits and loading up our Amazon carts with the necessary camping items.

Teri and I are only going for six days. On a good day, we experience our own personal summers far too often and worry about the 100-degree heat, the porta-johns and the lack of showers. The upside of this adventure, we optimistically voice, are the cool nights, people watching, art installations, and dancing like ravers in our creative costumes.

I met this spikey, silver-haired bundle of 64-year-old energy in Florida and we became fast friends and walking partners. Her passionate career involves advocacy for women and children, but she loves to create costumes and dresses from bits and pieces, baubles and leftovers, especially for her grandchildren. Her loquacious 70-year old friend happens to have a background in fashion design and illustration, a love for mentoring children and is also a graying grandmother.

When I told her I was gifted a ticket to Burningman for my birthday by my eldest daughter and husband, she was so excited for my bucket list item to be crossed off! Come with me, I urged, and it took one minute for her to agree to this adventure with me. What could be better than a partner in the same age range to grope around the dusty Playa?

My trip to see my kids in San Francisco was the first leg of costume excitement, as I scoured Haight Ashbury shops looking for the right coat for the nights of cool air in the desert. I found a floor-length faux fur coat and a short pink fur for Teri. I waxed nostalgic at the fashions that were featured in the vintage shops, which I just sold from my 60’s and 70’s days in England.

My friend and I have purged our closets of all things that can be re-purposed and created butterfly costumes, Steampunk couture, denim designs, tutus and jewelry with ribbons. Daytime outfits will be anything that keeps us cool—linen and cotton, bathing suits with sarongs, and gauzy harem pants. The jewelry-making with beads and ribbons have been sessions of silly.

When I tell you we have lost sleep planning, it is due to a mixture of fear and elation. We walked for weeks discussing what we might experience. Will we be able to stand the heat? What about our personal hygiene? My son-in-law and daughter are the expert Burningman campers, hauling in all our food, water, tents, and supplies. They borrowed a shift-pod and rebuilt a portable air conditioning unit and will set up camp before we even arrive. Our duties include greeting people and fetching ice. We know we will be well-taken care of from many angles, but also know we must be self-reliant.

We have shipped our costumes, boots, and items in plastic bags to avoid the dust. We are ordering our last minute supplies. We feel ready, but we have no expectations. We will board the Burner Bus in Reno, Nevada on August 26 and return different women on our trip back. We will shuttle back to our hotel, probably take shower after shower to remove a week of alkaline dust and fly home. Stay tuned!