Conventionally Speaking

Arriving at the convention, it felt like I was Dorothy stepping out of her black and white world into one of Technicolor. While there was no Wizard of Oz (though The StoryMaster was pretty close) or a wicked witch, the convention was a world of fun and wonder.

Familiar faces and names took shape before my eyes. Like books on a shelf, I finally got the chance to look beyond covers, titles and back cover summaries, and read the stories within. And as books have different genres, everyone had their own unique style. Some were comedic (I won't mention any names, MOO for President ), some were romantic, some where musical, but each was just as interesting as the last.

It was neat to see the different groups or cliques that formed. There were the partiers, who spent nights in each others' rooms. There was also the older crowd, the Senior Mods hung out together often, and at times individuals, pairs or trios would mesh together at differnt times of the day. Myself, I enjoyed the chats with Colin Back on the Ghost Roads and master_akura about fantasy writing, joking with MOO for President and Zoo - Salted and Roasted , and getting out on the dance floor and making everyone laugh with my antics. I felt accepted, wanted, and an asset to a community. On stage at Open Mic, seeing all eyes on me as I sang my parody and read my poetry, and holding the candles during "Wind Beneath My Wings" filled me with such a pride and warmth that compares to nothing else.

Sometimes when you read a book, you get lost from the outside world called reality. For those four days until the last, we had lost sight of the reality that physical distance separated us all, and when it was all over, we would have to return.
But still, we enjoyed the smiles, hugs and laughs. The hugs and handshakes were, for once, real. Instead of seeing a mere "LOL" on screen, the expressions and gestures associated with real laughter were there for us to see. Nothing beats that. I remember hugging one of my closest friends, and not wanting to let go for the entire weekend.

A plethora of emotions filled this past weekend. Happiness, anxiety, love, and sadness are just a few of the many things going through us every part of the convention. The good and the bad, the sweet and the not-so-sweet, it was worth every moment.

And unlike Dorothy, who wanted to leave and go home, I didn't want to return. Writing.com is my home, and there is no place like home.