Since I am now living on the other side of the world to my family and most of my friends this blog is about things I enjoy, things I notice, people I meet, people I miss, history, planning for the future, love and life in general! I guess it's about whatever pops into my head which I want to share with my friends and family... and who knows? I might make some more friends along the way!

14 October, 2008

The best part about Dragon*Con...

OK, so I have now been to two D*Cs in two years! This would have seemed an impossible dream to me a couple of years ago, but now I am living in the UK and it's a little bit closer and a lot less expensive to get there!
I also have a lot of wonderful friends whom I have met initially online, but have also spent precious time with at Dragon*Con. To me that is worth all the time on a plane, all the money on airfares and hotels and every moment that I lost out on sleep for the manic 4 1/2 days in Atlanta!
It's funny, because in the lead up to Dragon*Con all you seem to hear about is the guest list! First Jewel Stait, then Morena Baccarin then Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk... and is he or isn't he... Adam Baldwin...? (He didn't in case you're wondering...)
Then there's the added bonus of knowing other shows you enjoy and other actors you admire will be there! Meeting Edward James Olmos was a highlight for me, and one of which I have no tangible evidence. I saw him sitting in the 'Walk of Fame', but with autographs costing US$60 each I simply couldn't afford one! I decided to say hello all the same, and I went over and shook his hand, introduced myself and told him that I was a fan who had enjoyed many hours watching him in various roles, and that for me he made Battlestar Galactica the high standard program that it is! He was a lovely, charming and easy-to-converse with gentleman, and I shall treasure that memory for a very long time!
In addition, you actually meet folk for the first time. When wearing your Firefly themed costumes you get a lot of comments from other fans of the best show in the verse, you see the same people over and over at panels and parties and in queues... and then there are the people you know from online but never really 'got to know' until you met them in person... of course they can be the very best - but I might be biased there because last year I had barely exchanged one or two comments with 'Naughtyman' from fireflyfans.net, but when we met and talked and spent time in person it was a different matter... in case you're wondering he is my Frank, and we are planning to spend Christmas together this year!
I love the time spent absorbing people's accents and the way they animate when they are talking with you! I love to see them in person and bump into them when wandering around the convention! I love the fun and relaxed time, which is both surreal and more real than you could imagine! I love the fun, the random jokes, the imagination, the chemistry and the comraderie that comes from getting together with a few thousand folk, many of whom you know in one capacity or another, and just celebrating the things that brought you together as friends in the first place!
Most of all I love the memories, the photographs and the stories shared for days and weeks afterwards, and the build up and anticipation of next year's convention! I can tell you that at the time of writing this blog there are 323 days to go until I am meeting up with friends from near and far, embracing folk I know in person, from telephone conversations and from online forums, and laughing and anticipating time spent with my browncoat family!
If you ever want an experience like no other, come to Dragon*Con, Atlanta, Georgia for the long weekend which ends on the first Monday in September! If nothing else it will be something you will never forget!

So this blog is dedicated to Jimi-bear & to my Kaylee-clone, Cindy, to Tinker Jenn & to my life-friend Aleta, to my Mei Mei's Rose & Engie, to the two Scotts ( I mean from Scotland) both called Michael! To my li'l sister, Lila & her lovely man, Joe (who met through Firefly as well!), to Katy& her Chad, to Amanda, Bridget, (& the boys who sang to her too!) & Niki & Ken (who not only met at D*C last year but married there this year!) To Shelle Belle (Roxy) to Captain Chris (Steamer) to Rican & Jack & Share, & to Cedric & Hawke (the wonderful Bedlam Bards)... to Mike & his beautiful Erica, to Philippa, to Sara, to Birddog & Bill (Doctor Bill!), to the littlest 76th member, Stevie & her gorgeous Alison, to the delightful Lissa and to the warm and wonderful Melissa, to the dedicated and quietly supportive Mary (Kaele) & her sister, Daisy, & to Kelly... to all the friends who are more like family, those who are a part of the 76th battalion. This blog is dedicated to those I met last year, and those I hope to meet next year. It's for the naughty Renn who had me doing vodka shots before 11am, and to the wonderful (& beautiful) Beth with her tireless efforts for the Austin Browncoats fundraising! For Rican & Carl & Autumn & Audrey! It's for Angela & Erin, for Ilse & Nico, for Marina & Tom, for Lost & Artcat, for all the Captain Mal's, Jayne-hat-wearing browncoats, for the family who dressed as Big Damn Hero's right down to 7 month old Kaylee! For the all-singing, all-dancing and all wonderful fun folk who make D*C worth travelling half way around the world for!

And if you were there - it's for you too!

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