My First Convention: A Bundle of Emotions

*blows dust off of blog*

Okay, we're back. For the past three days, I was at FanX, what I like to call a mini-comic convention. As it was my first one, I had no idea what to expect...but I was excited.

Sometime ago, probably when I first began watching YouTube videos, I was introduced to the world of conventions and cosplay. At first, I thought it was weird. People lining up for hours to see a famous person? People wearing costumes of various characters? Shouldn't that have been reserved for Halloween?

But as time went on, I learned more about both conventions and cosplay. Some people were really good at it, taking months, maybe even years to perfect it so they looked as close to the characters as possible. Conventions were giant nerd gatherings, but it looked like fun to be around like-minded people. Soon, I wanted to go as well.

But I lacked any money to go to any con remotely near me. As I was in my teens, I had no job, no income, and no way to make cosplay or even pay for a convention.

Then Salt Lake Comic Con came into being. The dream of going became a whole lot easier because it was twenty minutes away. I couldn't believe it. All I lacked now...was the desire to go. I was in college, and money was tight, and stuff like a convention cost more money than I felt I could spare.

So fast forward to when I bought my tickets for half off (Score Black Friday), and I waited until January 29. At long last. My first convention was finally here. And luckily, I was going with friends who were equally nerdy as me.

The only thing that could top the moment when I walked onto the floor for the first time would be me entering Disneyland. It was huge. There were comic pictures, nerdy merchandise up and down every aisle, and I don't think I saw all of it. But it was amazing. If you were a fan of it, there probably was merchandise for you to buy.

The thing that I loved most though, was the feeling that it was okay for me to be as nerdy and fangirly as I wanted to be. So often, I have to kind of keep that part of myself kept under wraps. Here at Comic Con...I was free to embrace that part of myself. I wish I had another day just to sit around and watch all the interactions between people. I became braver, more willing to speak to strangers, and chat with them. It felt good to be social with people who loved the same things I loved. Or at least respected that I loved it.

And already, I'm missing it. That feeling of being able to walk around a corner and see someone from one of my favorite shows or video games standing right there. The feeling of solidarity that you're not the only huge nerd in the building. The feeling that it is okay for me to stare and oggle and marvel at what people have created for people like me.

In short, it was awesome, and I wish I had a Time Turner to go back and relive those three days over and over again.