Thanks for reading! You are definitely not "too old for the crowd." I have met people in their 90s there. For real.

Also, while it has gotten bigger, if you have never been, you don't know what it used to be like. For people who have been going for years, I can see how it might be too much now... I can sort of vouch for that in my story. But the heart and soul of it is definitely still there.

You might also want to check out if there are any regionals in your area. Maybe that would be a good compromise? I didn't include it here (it was already long enough, heh) but I also go to a much smaller regional about an hour from where I live. Only about 250 people. While it doesn't have the spectacular art, I'm there with other burners, which is fabulous.