SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A Sioux Falls man has finally returned home following an extended trip to the rain-soaked Burning Man.

This is the 4th year Ryan Wallin has attended the 9-day counter-culture festival in the Nevada Desert.

He says Burning Man always includes survival in the elements, but this year’s event received nearly 3 months’ worth of rain in just one night, turning the 70-thousand-person pop-up city into a muddy mess. But despite the discomfort, Wallin says he and his friends still enjoyed the gathering.

“The people leaving early and getting stuck… that weren’t listening to instructions or advice were people who didn’t understand what it means to go to Burning Man, which is a radical sense of self-reliance and community,” Wallin said.

Ryan returned home and Saturday and plans to attend Burning Man, again next year.