Gardener #1

If you're here, you probably have met me and I've rambled on endlessly about this here camp. Thanks for being patient.

I'm Frannie aka Ria. I've been semi regularly hosting regional Burner Wednesday Happy Hours at my bars since summer of 2013. The happy hours have been occurring for 11 years straight without ever missing a wednesday thanks to the diligent work of a few of the regionals. I started having them at my bars because it's one of the ways I can support Burning Man and it's a fantastic way to meet burners veteran and virgin. If you haven't come by, you really should (even if it doesn't happen to be at my place, they are great for mingling and learning).

Despite having gone to many Burning Man events here in NYC over the years, 2013 was my first year in the desert.  I got a ticket, got an RV, and started researching. Lots of camps, lots of options, lots of preparations...

I ultimately decided to camp independently so that my first experience would be not be colored by the overwhelming influence of a major theme camp. I had two amazing campmates that shared my little RV and we built our very comfy camp together. In addition to the RV  we had a wardrobe tent, a privacy tent, a large shade structure with a variety of furniture beneath it, and we shared food water and alcohol. We were blessed with amazing weather,  we were out experiencing everything we could, no one really slept much, and it was perfect.

I'm a planner and organizer by nature, and I've been planning Strange Gardens since the flight back from Reno last year. I've been working on the models for the housing pods, buying and outfitting the kitchen truck, the enclosed trailer for transporting the pods and storing them the rest of the year, planning the shade structure, etc. It's fun and I really enjoy it. Here in NYC I'm a bar/restaurant owner, and have opened up several different businesses in the past decade. I like to design and plan things, and Burning Man gives me the perfect opportunity to do it again, but in a more fun way.

 

Gardener #2

is feeling very private right now. Maybe later...