Wednesday, January 16, 2008

And So It Begins: Burning Man Tickets Go On Sale Today

If you didn't already know that Burning Man tickets went on sale today at 10AM PST via the Burning Man website, then I'm afraid you're probably already out of luck. Like many people across the nation I was anxiously hitting the reload button on my Web browser between 9:59 and 10:00 AM this morning, and when I finally saw the load progress bar hesitate I knew I was getting into the system, only to find that there were already 1083 people in front of me when it finally loaded. Then it was a matter of watching the 60 second countdown and the slow decrease of numbers until finally, at 10:44, it was down to three people in front of me. Finally I got in, paid $210 for two tickets, plus a $10.50 convenience fee, and another $12.50 for secure delivery (yes, tickets do get stolen in the mail), for a grand total of $442.50.

I wouldn't have been so anxious to get tickets when they first went on sale if I didn't know that, by tomorrow, all the "cheap" tickets will be gone. The thing about Burning Man tickets is, even if you're not completely sure that you'll be going eight months from now, you might as well buy them so you can get them for the cheapest possible price, and if you don't go, it's not like you'll have any difficulty selling them when the actual date rolls around. Thus, the mad, server-crashing frenzy that ensues the instant they go on sale.

So, will the boyfriend and I be going? The answer to that question depends somewhat on whether or not he can get time off from the porn studio sweatshop where he works. But, as we didn't get to go last year, I think we're pretty primed for going this year, and now that the tickets have gone on sale and Burning season has begun, it's hard to not get swept up in the excitement and anticipation. I guess soon it will be time to start thinking about gear, and, more importantly, outfits.

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