Burner Curious Podcast

6. Burning Man 2025 (Nevada) - Jess Starwood, 42-year-old single mom, artist, van-lifer, and first-time Burner

Welcome to the Burner Curious Podcast - where first time burners share their background and experience of their first burning man event, whether it was at the Big Burn or a smaller Regional Burn event around the world.  TODAY'S GUEST & EPISODE SNEAK PEAK:  Jess Starwood is a 42-year-old artist, creative entrepreneur, and long-time van-lifer who recently relocated from California to Arizona after a major life transition. A single mom for over a decade, Jess has built a strong foundation of self-reliance through solo travel, camping, and creative work outside conventional structures. In this episode of Burner Curious, Jess shares about attending Burning Man (Big Burn) 2025 in Nevada as her very first burn—nearly 20 years after first feeling called to the culture. She talks about joining a small theme camp, arriving early for build week, and navigating the event through challenging weather conditions. Jess reflects on what drew her to Burning Man, how creativity and participation shape the experience for her, and what advice she would give to other first-time burners—especially those coming from periods of personal transition or rebuilding. Disclaimer: Burner Curious and its creators share personal stories for educational and entertainment purposes only. We do not encourage, promote, or endorse any illegal activities, including illegal drug use. Please always follow the laws and regulations of your jurisdiction.

5. Saguaro Man 2023 (Arizona) and Burning Man (2025) - Peaceful Warrior (P-dubs) - a mid-50s massage & pilates professional and burner-artist

Welcome to the Burner Curious Podcast - where first time burners share their background and experience of their first burning man event, whether it was at the Big Burn or a smaller Regional Burn event around the world.  TODAY'S GUEST & EPISODE SNEAK PEAK:  Peaceful Warrior, also known as P-dubs, is a mid-50s massage therapist and Pilates instructor from Arizona with a long history of camping, hot springs missions, and a past life as a 90s metalhead. After years of weekend work keeping him away from festivals, he finally stepped into the regional burn world with Saguaro Man 2023, followed by smaller regionals and his first Big Burn. In this conversation, he shares how he discovered EDM and creative self-expression through costumes, characters, and interactive shenanigans, as well as his practical tips for first-time burners on shade structures, dust and wind prep, water, sleep setups, and “being the entertainment” instead of waiting to be entertained. Content note: This episode contains explicit language and mentions of illegal substances. Disclaimer: Burner Curious and its creators share personal stories for educational and entertainment purposes only. We do not encourage, promote, or endorse any illegal activities, including illegal drug use. Please always follow the laws and regulations of your jurisdiction.

4. Where the Sheep Sleep (Netherlands) 2025 - Eva van Zeeland - single Dutch mom (3 kids) and conscious 5D dating business founder

Welcome to the Burner Curious Podcast - where first time burners share their background and experience of their first burning man event, whether it was at the Big Burn or a smaller Regional Burn event around the world.  TODAY'S GUEST & EPISODE SNEAK PEAK. Eva van Zeeland joins Burner Curious to share her first experience at Where the Sheep Sleep 2025, the Dutch regional Burning Man. A single mom of three from Eindhoven and creator of 5D Dating, Eva is a conscious business leader and keynote speaker on topics ranging from AI to starseeds and human design (she’s a projector learning to manage her energy). With a background in techno festivals, family camping trips, surfing getaways in furnished tents, and a sober 5-day tantra festival (ISTA in Israel), she arrived at her first burn craving me-time and ready to co-create with costumes, wings, and a film contribution for the festival’s movie night. Arriving early and fully prepared, Eva quickly discovered the challenges of non-stop music, tight camping layouts, cold desert-like nights, and a heavy party atmosphere. After a fully sleepless first night, she made the difficult but self-honouring decision to leave after about 24 hours — choosing to protect her health and nervous system rather than force the “full five-day burn.” Eva shares what she still loved about the experience: the radical gifting culture, the creativity of the camps, the oneness and community she saw emerging, and the unique feeling of a no-commerce environment. She also speaks openly about the contrast between Burns and sober, intentional events like ISTA, and offers grounded advice for first-time burners on energy management, flexibility, and staying true to your boundaries over social expectations. 👉 Connect with Eva: www.evavanzeeland.com [www.evavanzeeland.com]

3. Burning Nest (UK) 2022 with Jermaine - mixed race pansexual 30 yo male from Manchester

Welcome to the Burner Curious Podcast - where first time burners share their background and experience of their first burning man event, whether it was at the Big Burn or a smaller Regional Burn event around the world.  Episode Guest: Jermaine Cunningham Consents to connect and chat  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jermaine.Cunningham [https://www.facebook.com/Jermaine.Cunningham] Additional Notes: Mixed race, pansexual, 30 years old living in Manchester First time Burn Event (Nest 2022) Attended full week event 5 Word Summary: Transformative insightful comfortable hopeful exciting Quote: “people have a view that life should always be fun… Nest was amazing at times, but horrible at times… it made me understand that it’s okay to feel low…”

2. Burning Nest (UK) 2022 with Claus - a German divorced dad in IT project management and spiritual podcaster

Welcome to the Burner Curious Podcast - where first time burners share their background and experience of their first burning man event, whether it was at the Big Burn or a smaller Regional Burn event around the world.  Episode Guest: Claus Geissendoerfer Consents to connect and chat Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/claus1860  [https://www.facebook.com/claus1860%C2%A0] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claus1860/ [https://www.instagram.com/claus1860/] Additional Notes: Divorced father from Germany living in the UK First time burn (Nest 2022) Participated in theme camp build pre-event start  Loves camping (old time boy scout) Involvement in burner events before burn