Today we are speaking with our first ever guest, the one and only George Paap. He is the first Regional Contact, he started the first Regional group, he started what is now the longest running Regional Burn, Flipside in Texas.

George tells us his story of growing up, meeting Burning Man, having it change him, and what it all has meant to him. Please give it a listen and enjoy.

This episode is all about your host, THAT Andi. You are taken from his beginnings in suburban New Jersey to Manhattan, Vermont, San Francisco, and then wind up in Hawaii. You will learn all about how he first went to Burning Man in 1996, started the Hawaii Regional group (Ka Pilina), started the Regional Information Center, started CORE, retired, and has been getting dragged back into the orbit of the playa. And all of this leads to his understanding of what he calls "The Connection", a lesson taught by the playa. All of this leads us to this podcast, what it is all about and why he is doing it.

What is life like after Burning Man? For that matter, what is Burning Man? If you have chosen to listen to this I am assuming you have a basic understanding of the event and movement.

This podcast explores the changes over time brought about by exposure to Burning Man to people, places, and things.

To start off these conversations it is important to ground ourselves. I want to set the stage so we are all on the same page contextually.

Burning Man is an event world renowned for its art, music, community, and slightly less publicly well known for it’s transformational nature. Almost everyone who attends reports not just an amazing experience but also a life changing event.

While most people are familiar with the party less attention has been paid to the effect Burning Man has had on individuals, communities, and in some ways the world. This transformative effect and the changes it causes are what this series will explore in all of its facets. Over time we will delve the depths of life after Burning Man and follow it wherever it takes us.

Topics discussed:

So who are we talking about?

How big is this phenomenon?

The event as inspiration

Evolution of the Man

Old versus New

The other 51 weeks of the year

Why you are here

This podcast is all about exploring how Burning Man has changed people, places, and things. Everyone who participates has their own unique experience and take away. Yet the one bedrock commonality is everyone says Burning Man has changed their life.

In a series of interviews with notable burners you will be exposed to stories that can shed light on this transformational experience. You will learn the backstories and historical details that are not commonly known. I aim to put the human back into the legend and provide a platform for the many unsung heroes to tell their own tale as they see fit.

No two stories are the same yet they all contain the same magic. In the end everyone who has some experience with Burning Man is affected by it’s touch, this is their “Shadow of the Man”.

I hope you listen, enjoy, and subscribe,

Thank you,

Andi