Anthrocon 2009, Done
- I met two great people, Nicona Shadowwolf and his wife, Snow Queen TigerClaw, on Saturday or Sunday (I can't remember which). We talked a bit about fursuits and cons and such, and we met again during the fursuit team games. I like Nicona's suit, too. :)
From the moment I woke up, I knew it was all over. It felt that way, too. I could hear others in the hallway outside of my room, moving luggage and such. But there weren't any conversations; no one said anything.
I showered, grabbed my camera, and headed out for breakfast... yes, Fernando's again. Outside of the Westin, the streets were calm and the sidewalks were empty. Fernando's was empty; I was the only one there at the time. After eating, I headed back to the Westin, and saw a lot of people packing their cars outside. Inside the Westin, at the lobby, I saw people getting into and out of the elevators, carrying their suitcases, bags of clothes, fursuit containers, etc. I didn't see any fursuiters. I didn't see any romping or frolicking, and I didn't see any camera flashes. I walked to the third floor, to see if anything was happening at the zoo.
The Zoo room was practically empty. There were a few people sitting around, but there wasn't any action. I walked around a bit more, to the internet room, and again, nothing... and no fursuiters in sight.
I went to the 2nd floor and walked around a bit. The rooms that were so lively and full of energy and fun a few hours ago were completely dead. I walked toward the skybridge entrance to the DLCC, and saw that the hallway was dark and the far doors were closed. That's when it hit me.
It's over. There were no fursuiters, no reasons to get into my fursuit, no fun things to photograph, and no panels or events to go to. The fun routine I'd gotten into, day after day, was done. I had to pack up my things and check out of the hotel.
I went back to my room and started packing, but I certainly wasn't quick about it. Nearly every time I picked up something to put away, I thought about where, when, and how it was used at the convention. Eventually, everything was packed (including my camera), and I started the elevator trips to load all of it into my car.
After loading the car, I went back to the lobby to check out. As I made my way back to the lot, I saw Frostbite, making his way through the crowd. At first, I was a bit annoyed that I didn't have my camera with me, but that feeling quickly went away. I walked back to my car, grinning, and I thought, 'Next time.' :)
I left the Westin, put gas in the tank, and proceeded to highway for the long drive home. Not long after I started the trip, I spotted a white SUV with Michigan vanity plates that read, T1GRFOX (I think). I passed him on the left side and got in front of him, to make sure he could see my custom plate. I didn't do that to prove anything or to slight him. I did it just to let him know that I saw one of my peers driving home... and to kinda say, 'until next time'.
...and there will be a 'next time', for sure!
And that was that, my Anthrocon experience in a nutshell. I can't remember every single thing I did at the con, but it was definitely one of the most enjoyable and fun things I'd ever done in my life.
I thank all of the people involved in the programming, and all the volunteers and staff that helped make Anthrocon 2009 possible. I was never bored, not for a single moment. In fact, I had to cancel some of the things I wanted to do because there was so much to choose from. You guys don't get enough praise or thanks for all the hard work you do, and I can sympathize. But I, for one, appreciate all you've done. All of that hard work was put into an event that made me very happy, and I won't ever forget that!
I thank all of the fursuiters, for getting out there and entertaining everyone when you could, and adding so much to the convention atmosphere. In my view, you all are the stars of the show, and you add magic to the con experience. I'm new to fursuiting, and I still have a few things to learn. And although a lot of you make it look easy, you all still have fun while doing it. That's what it's about!
I thank all of the other attendees, who helped make Anthrocon more enjoyable. Dealers, artists, performers, photographers, those who hosted panels, attendees who just wanted to hang out, etc... the whole event seemed to be incident- and drama-free, and you all should be thanked for that!
I thank the staff members of the Westin Hotel and convention center, for giving us the nice rooms and convention space. Check-in and check-out were painless, the staff members were always helpful and friendly, and there was plenty of space to move around, both in my room and the convention center. Thanks a lot!
I'll be back for Anthrocon 2010!