I went to Burning Man for the first time. Here are 5 things everyone gets wrong about the event.

Was it a bit of a bummer we couldn’t bike around to all the incredible camps Burning Man has to offer for the last three days? Totally. Still, we still made the best of things when the storm hit and completely changed our trip. 

My camp continued to throw nightly dance parties with live DJ sets, and there were so many stories of people helping each other through the storm — from making 100 quesadillas for those who were stuck on a Burner Express bus to whipping up freshly grilled cheese sandwiches on the dance floor for our neighbors. 

Chris Rock must have just watched “The Last of Us” because there was definitely no threat of cannibalism (or Ebola) in the playa. 

Most of us stuck around when the mud dried and the gates opened. The celebrities may have fled Burning Man, but we were all still there to clean and celebrate after the storm. 

The high-res Instagram pictures from Burning Man popping up on your Explore page likely come from attendees who are commonly known to Burners as “Weekend Warriors” and “Sparkle Ponies.”

These are the people who come to the desert to snap pictures in six-inch platform boots and a $600 crystal-covered bodysuit. 

Sure, these people are the 1% — but they also make up 1% of Burning Man.

So much of Black Rock City is built on the hard work and dedication of everyday people like you and me. In my camp alone, there were engineers, lawyers, hairdressers, and bartenders. 

Most camps have leadership teams that meet throughout the year to get ready for Burning Man — and a lot of their effort is dedicated not to providing for people in the camp but to creating a gift that will benefit everyone in Black Rock City.

This has always been the core of what Burning Man is all about, and it’s a mindset that I saw across the camps that fill the playa.

“Burning Man is devoted to acts of gift giving,” it reads in Burning Man’s official 10 guiding principles. “The value of a gift is unconditional. Gifting does not contemplate a return or an exchange for something of equal value.” 

You’ll find all kinds of gifts among the thousands of camps that fill the playa. And unlike the gifts you usually get for your birthday or the holidays, they won’t be store-bought (decommodification is another of the 10 principles). 

There are camps that offer manicures and foot massages and camps that offer New York-style breakfast sandwiches. You’ll find open bars on every corner, often accompanied by creative themes like being consensually abducted by “aliens” who capture you with a hula hoop and then shower you with compliments (this is a real camp, and it is awesome).

Some camps throw parties, while others let you send postcards to your parents or dogs. My camp, Android Oasis, contributes a covered dome where anyone can stop by to cool down with ice-cold drinks, massages, and great music. 

Burning Man is also founded on radical self-reliance, so you shouldn’t just show up with nothing but hope in the generosity of others (although some people do). Most Burners don’t come to Black Rock City wondering what they can get from people — but rather what they can give. 

Burning Man attracts a ton of great DJs, and I saw so many awesome sets during my week on the playa. At its core, however, Burning Man is a real city.

There are definitely parties and shows, but you’re also working camp shifts and giving back to the unique community. There are also dozens of sober camps, workshops that offer advice on everything from relationships to overcoming trauma, and Temple, where attendees go to reflect or process the loss of loved ones or recent difficult life events. 

Black Rock City really has something for everyone — not just the partiers or electronic music lovers.