Camp Envy

I know that I’ve already written about Burning Man once. I had an experience at home that I think is well worth the sharing, so here we go.

Now, I’ve been a member of Camp Envy since 2009. The reason why I’ve had to do it is because the money hasn’t been there. When it has been, I got it too late. So, each year I sit at home while a good majority of my friends leave to head out to the desert. It gets more difficult every year.

In 2009 I spent a lot of time in Camp Envy. I talked to a lot of people and it was a lot of fun. Then next year I was working so I couldn’t spend a lot of time online. 2011 was the year I had to sell my tickets. I was heartbroken so I spent a lot of time not online. I tried not to think about it because it was hard.

Your writer at Burning Man 2006. Picture by Craig Gordon

This year was different in so many ways. A good portion of my friends didn’t go to Burning Man this year. They stayed home. They went to other places. But it’s the people who said, “OMG I’M GOING TO BURNING MAN!!!!!!111eleven”, they’re the ones that made me snap. I’m happy that I have friends that get to go out there. They say, hey see you in a week, a month… however long they happen to be out there. That’s cool. It’s a little different when it gets almost fangirl like.

So, after four years I snapped. I felt something that I haven’t felt in a long time. I felt that deep, black emotion of jealousy. It wasn’t because of the fear of missing out. I knew I was missing out. I knew what I was missing. Even though every year is different, I knew enough to know that not only was I missing out but that I felt something more that I was missing.

So, Tuesday morning after the beginning of the event, I decided to reach out to the one place I knew would be full of people also wanting to be there as well. I spent my Burn in Camp Envy.

It was the best experience I have ever had at home… from the comfort of my papasan chair.

I got to talk with others who also felt the same way. We all enjoyed Burning Man. We all had a certain amount of wistful feelings for it. We would spend hours chatting, watching as the event continued. Watched the event peak and then peter out and almost completely disappear.

And yet it’s been one of the best Burning Man experiences that I have had since 2005. It reminded me of what I loved about Burning Man in the first place.

More importantly, this is what I love about Camp Envy. Even though we’re at home and are only connected by this thing called the internet. And yet we can become friends. We can chat and get to know each other in a similar fashion to Burning Man. By the time it’s over, we’ve created some really awesome friends.

I may not have been on playa but I can’t imagine spending that time with anyone else. I thank Camp Envy for being there when I needed it.

campenvy.com