I went to my first Burning Man in 2017, and met Larry Harvey on the playa completely out of the blue. I tried to find a friend who I knew was in First Camp – she was away and as it was super hot I needed a break. I asked an old guy in a hat who was in the shade if I could sit with him. After I’d drunk some water I asked him how his burn was going. He said that he’d been doing this for many years and for him the burn was the burning of the Man. But he was having a good party. What about me? I said I’d been to a couple of regionals before, one of which was equally challenging physically, but I was finding it much harder to make connections and fin my tribe in Black Rock City. It was utterly spectacular, but perhaps the loneliest burn I’d been to. He said that I should keep coming back as I would build those connections over time. Only then did we exchange names and I realised just who I was talking to! Sorry for dissing your burn Larry! I will be coming back. Thank you for your creation, and I hope you rest in peace.