thinky thoughts about a bunch of things

[melayneseahawk]

Cold recovery now extended to almost two weeks, plus a bout of depression and a trip to the ER due to an allergic reaction to the Ambien I was given so I could sleep through the coughing. *sigh*

But! Cold is almost gone and allergy is being treated and depressive spiral was broken by the ER trip. So I've gotten more done today than I have in close to two weeks and I actually feel positive about it. I did accomplish one useful thing while I was sick, though, which was to talk to Nik* about FUTURE PLANS. I still don't really know what I'm doing, but I think I've narrowed it down some.

The biggest problem right now is actually DragonCon. For the first time ever, I'm not really enthusiastic about going. Maybe it's because I feel completely disconnected from fandom, or that the things I nerd out about have shifted without me getting involved in the fandom communities for the source material. Maybe it's the depression (though this was actually going on before the most recent bout). Maybe I'm just having issues remembering how much fun con is, and only focusing on the negative stuff (lots of walking, lots of lines, the hard-work side of cosplaying). Nik and I are probably only going to cosplay one day this year, rather than two or three, but does anyone have any ideas for how to get my con nerd mojo back?

*For those not in the know, Nik is my fiancé. If you've met him, you probably know his real name, but Nik is a nickname.

Comments

[green-grrl.livejournal.com]

I don't have any magic tricks for con mood, just prep for self-care (portable snacks and water bottle, comfortable shoes, and a light schedule focused on the mustn't miss things). The one year I wasn't as psyched ahead of time for D*C (because I was feeling like it was getting so big/tiring/overwhelming) turned out to be the year I had the best time ever, so you never know.

I'm looking forward to seeing you and meeting Nik!

[melayneseahawk.livejournal.com]

Yeah, my usual habit is to plan extensively and have multiple options. Thankfully Nik is excited, so I can borrow some of his energy.

I didn't realize you hadn't met him yet! theemdash and the usual suspects got to meet him two years ago (when he was still my recently-acquired boyfriend), and then we missed con last year for his brother's wedding.

[green-grrl.livejournal.com]

Whereas I missed two years ago and was back last year.

2014 for the win! :D

[melayneseahawk.livejournal.com]

Hooray!

[theemdash]

Remember: Face smushing on Thursday night! All my favorite faces are invited!

[green-grrl.livejournal.com]

smuuuuuuuush!!!

[theemdash]

I agree with green_grrl, focus on prep for self-care and then make a light schedule focused on not-miss things. Also, plan to hang out with people as opposed to doing things. A lot of my enthusiasm has drained over the years, but I still have a lot of fun by spending time with people I like rather than running around like a crazy person.

That said... I volunteered for a panel this year. Assuming all things work work out with my ride, it'll be early Monday afternoon. I'm hoping getting a little involved again will help me feel more excited.

[melayneseahawk.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm definitely focusing on seeing people, which is helping.

(Not helping is that I'm not doing well in other respects, and it's bleeding all over everything a bit.)

OTOH, Nik has been talking about this maybe being our last year at DragonCon specifically, because it's so expensive to travel crosscountry for it. But that will mean missing the people, and so that's kind of a downer.

(Also, DragonCon in all it's insanity is unique, and not really something I'd be able to just replace with San Diego ComiCon or something else.)

[theemdash]

I would be sad if this was your last regular DC, but I certainly understand about the expense. But I will say, there is NO convention like DC. And part of that is because of the people. Though you can always make an attempt to get to know people who regularly attend other cons and make that community the same or similar, there's still just the atmosphere of DC, that is is a fan-first convention, and that is something that I just haven't found elsewhere.

Balancing between money and desire is a difficult thing. But I always advocate being fiscally responsible.