Hi TAR Fam. My name is Abhi, but you can call me Familiar. I’ve been doing burns (regionals and the one in the desert) for a few years, and they’ve been a huge part of my growth and self-discovery. My first Flipside (the big Austin regional burn) was the best weekend of my life, in terms of growth and feeling good about myself, and this year’s Flipside surpassed it. This will be my first TAR, and I’m so excited at the opportunity to deeply connect with you all and continue my growth journey at this event. I’m also feeling optimistic that it will be my new best weekend.

Most of this year for me has been transitioning from trying to shoehorn myself into a community that didn’t value me to focusing on discovering who I am, being fully my (weird) self, and finding people who resonate with me. I found my burn name in the desert this year after a solo night of medicine and following where my ears led me.

Firstly, I’m Familiar because I can sort of float in social situations and not engage with new people until I get used to their energy. I was at Electric Forest this year and joined up with the Meep crew a few times, thanks to Shannon, but I didn’t connect with many new-to-me people in the crew. So, I’m setting an intention to be much more proactive about connecting with new people in this community. I know this is a warm, loving, and safe community, plus some of my closest friends will be there, so I intend to fast-track my usual processes of opening up around people.

Secondly, I’m Familiar because I’m most comfortable in informal settings where people are open, honest, and direct. I often miss social cues, and I appreciate when people are explicit with me. I also really like to connect with people through back massage. It’s a great way to channel my anxiety and ADHD into something therapeutic (for the recipient and for myself). I don’t have any formal training, but I enjoy doing it and I hear that I’m pretty good at it—The Zach and Sonia can hopefully vouch for experiencing catharsis while I worked on their backs. If at any point my hands are free and you would like to get massaged, please ask! I will feel seen and appreciated.

Lastly, I’m Familiar because of how I like to show up for the people in my life. My (made up) love language is “when people let me know how I can support them.” I get energized by helping others, and I love the idea of being a “familiar spirit” (like a pet that helps you with your magic) for my friends. Tell me about your challenges and your victories. I will ask you lots of clarifying questions to make sure I understand, then I will validate the shit out of you and help you think through how you want to proceed. I will learn about how your brain works and use the knowledge to better support you. I can also hold you accountable and let you know when something needs work. I’ll pay attention and I’ll give you an accurate reflection of what I see, whenever you want it.

I’m hoping to find humans at my first TAR who want a Familiar in their lives.