So many of my “do the things” adventures start with Ingress, and here’s another one that I definitely would not have done without a prod from the game: camping.

For the second time, the creators of Ingress held a special event in the woods of Northern California to bring together agents for a weekend of camping, art, and comraderie. Some call it “Nerdingman” because of vague similarities to the Burning Man festival. I probably would have let this opportunity slip by, just as I did the first year, because getting to the woods of Mendocino County from the east coast is no easy feat, coupled with the fact that I haven’t been camping since high school. But, since I’m all about doing the things now, I figured I had to at least give it a try. The fact that I already needed to be in the SF Bay Area the following week for work also helped push me over the edge.

It’s worth pointing out here that Ingress is often a very adversarial game. There are two factions and the nature of the game tends to breed quite a bit of animosity between them. Cheating (and accusations of cheating) tend to color all cross-faction interactions, and while I have, at times, had very good relationship with the opposite faction (case in point: Cliff was on the opposite faction when we first began dating), I was worried about spending a weekend out in the woods with hundreds of members of the other team.

But actually, when you spend the time out in the woods and focus on building and appreciating Ingress-inspired art & technology displays rather than competing for dominance in the game, you can actually have a lot of fun with members of the opposite faction.

 

I had a chance to chat with a lot of members of the opposite faction, experience their creations, and share a drink or two. I got to spend time with several Niantic employees, as well as one of the funniest player personalities out there (hope that tequila treated him well the next morning).

The event was called Epiphany Night, for reasons related to the in-game storyline that would require far too much explanation. But the word “epiphany,” as in a moment of sudden revelation or insight, applies so much more deeply to this event.

Epiphany #1: if you take all of the in-game stakes away, it can be pretty cool to hang out with members of the opposite faction.

Epiphany #2: Day hikes and kayak trips are nice and all, but there is something very special about spending all day and night out in nature – things are more calm, peaceful, and relaxing. I was physically exhausted from running around all day, but mentally so much more refreshed.

Epiphany #3: You may think you’re shaded by trees, but still wear sunscreen. Wear a lot of it. Trust me.

Epiphany #4: If you have to pee and it’s cold outside of your sleeping bag, you aren’t going to have a good time. Try to make sure you have an empty bladder before going to bed, and also make sure you have very warm clothing availability if that fails. Or else you’re going to squirm instead of sleeping.

Fun things happen when I just go out and do the things.

And if you take nothing else away from this story, make sure you pee before you go to sleep.