Otakon: I hope you have $$$

Otakon was the first convention I ever travelled to, in 2013. It was during my first year of cosplaying, and my family drove me to Baltimore while they went elsewhere in Maryland to visit family friends. It made quite an impression on me, and is part of what inspired me to continue traveling out of state for conventions. However, there are some important things to know about attending Otakon. 

First of all, don't go if you don't have a hefty supply of cash. Otakon (at least until next year) is held at the Baltimore Convention Center. At many cons you are able to walk around the lobbies/hallways without a badge, but at Otakon, to get in to the convention center at all you need a badge that costs between $80-$100. 

Once you obtain this badge, you can use it to walk around, go into panels, or go into the dealers room/artist alley. I love shopping in artist alley, but that's even more money to take into consideration. I usually reserve $80-$100 for buying prints in artist alley, and even more if I'm planning on buying stuff in the dealers room.

In addition to costs at the con, you must account for hotel, travel, and food. I got to stay with a friend for free at my first Ota, but not the second, where my spot in a hotel cost about $100. 

The location itself is lovely, there is great inner-city atmosphere as well as picturesque locations like the docks and the flower garden! Here are some photos from the last Otakon I went to, in 2014:

All photos by me

Budgeting for conventions is always important, but especially for Otakon, with its large dealers room, expensive food, and pricey badge. I didn't go this past year because I knew I wouldn't have enough money, but I look forward to going again in the future.

Dragoncon: A Bad Time

Probably the worst convention experience I've had in recent years was attending Dragon*con 2015. An important note: this was by no way a fault of the convention itself, in fact I'm sure a lot of people had an amazing time and other years I might have too, it was just unlucky circumstances really.

So:

Nothing that starts off with food poisoning ever turns out well. Especially when that thing is a 7 hour road trip. I was driving two strangers that I would be sharing a room with (with the addition of some not-strangers, it's not weird, I promise), we set off from my place at 7am, we're all tired as heck, and it's time to get breakfast and coffee. I get a breakfast sandwich and iced coffee from a Burger King. I love BK breakfasts, I've gotten them many times, before, but this time was nothing but a mistake. Two hours later, I had to stop. And then another hour after that. About 4 hours into the trip, my copilot notices I'm looking pale, and says "Want me to drive now?" I hadn't realize how spacey I had been (please don't drive like this, don't be like me), so I promptly pulled over at the next rest stop and vommited everywhere. Good timing at least. The rest of the drive was spent in the passenger's seat battling dehydration and struggling to keep absolutely anything down, fainting in a bathroom at least once and having to ask one of the people (men) I was with to bring me water in the ladies room, and generally just having a bad time. We finally got to the hotel and I was able to crash for the next 12 hours.

Photoshoots were cancelled, group cosplays were bailed on, I suffered. The nice thing about all this though was that one of the girls in my room was a nursing student, another had chronic stomach problems, and another was a mom friend to the girl with stomach problems who came equipped with medicines of all sorts. 

And THAT'S how I spent over half of Dragon*con and wasted $60 + $160 for the hotel + gas money.

It's impossible for a convention not to leave a bad taste in your mouth (literally) when you have to experience it from your bed heaving into a trash can.

The silver lining of all this was I did get to spend a little time at the convention, and I went to the  Georgia Aquarium which is amazing. It just would have been more amazing if I was able to get calories from anything other than gatorade and crackers.

Here are the two costumes I managed to wear (out of 6 planned):

This is the friend with stomach problems, hopefully you can't tell but we are both suffering in this photo.

I'm the blue one

Now the important question: would I go back to Dragon*con? The answer is no. It's bigger than most conventions I like, it's expensive, it's hot (as are all Florida conventions, but it's downtown in a big city with a lot of people in a small space so it is HOT). 

Atlanta is really pretty though, so it made me want to go to a smaller convention there at some point. Maybe Momocon or AWA? Either way, hopefully they will be better than Dragon was, and I promise I won't be eating Burger King at any point.

Katsucon in Review

Katsucon: my number one, absolute favorite convention that I go to. I don't know whether it's because of the venue, the people that go, the magnificent costumes everyone seems to break out for it, or the fact that it's a nice break from the school semester, but either way it makes for one amazing weekend.

Definitely the thing that makes traveling to Katuscon most worthwhile is the venue in which it is held: the Gaylord National Harbor Resort and Convention Center.

With a spacious, bright atrium and a stunning view of the Potomac, it makes a the perfect setting for cosplay photographs of all kinds.

Not to mention the famous gazebo, coveted by cosplayers of all ages and skill levels. The line to get a photograph inside of the bright white structure stretches across the entire ballroom floor.

(Both photos by me)

As far as my own costumes go, this year in particular was fun because I wore a total of 9, which is a record for me. They ranged from comfortable to ridiculous, but I had a great time in all of them.

Overall, this year's Katsucon did not disappoint, and wherever life takes me next, I know I will still be attending for many years to come.