gekko (boringly called "Nancy" in another life)

Where do you call home?
Black Rock City. When I'm not physically there, I hide out in Scottsdale, AZ

Been to Burning Man before? When?
This will be my third year: 2011 and 2012 before this.

Camped with PolyParadise Before?
Yes'm, I have.

Why Burning Man? – For Burning Man, there is no description, no photo, nor YouTube that will ever adequately capture it except to those who have indeed experienced it. The reason is simple: the time spent immersing yourself in the Burning Man experience coalesces within your being. Once you inhale, eat, absorb the dust, it becomes a part of you, and you become a collective part of the emotion, the excitement, the tension, the serenity, the animalistic, the jaw-gaping oh-my-god mind-altering surreality of it all. There is no translation for that.

A fiftyish pampered middle class hausfrau with little life experience and a pronounced inclination to hunker down in the comfort of my privileged existence I have repeatedly found that the Burning Man experience presents me with challenges that I need in order to move past my self-imposed boundaries.

It’s the BMan core value of “radical self-” that genuinely drew me -- radical self-expression as well as radical self-reliance. People tend to act in their own self-interest. It's when our self-interest is expanded to include finding contentment in assisting others, there is harmony. Burning Man pushed me to rely on myself, express myself, and give myself.

Who I Am - I have identified with the poly lifestyle for 10 years, and there are two men I love deeply and dearly. My background is in software development and systems engineering; I have a serious geek streak and a strong attachment to electronic gadgets. I am a writer, I love to sing, I yearn to learn to express myself well through photography and sketching. I have been known to adopt alternate personae. Personas? Something.

Burning Man Advice - Don't have any expectations. Do NOT have any expectations. Leave your expectations behind you. Open yourself up to something new. Make your own Burn. Avoid the temptation of relying on other people to "behave" in a way you expect them to (have no expectations). People will be there when you need them to be, doing exactly what you need, whether you know you need it or not. Most of all: be ready for your life to change. Just ... don't expect it.