A very tricky question this! I was positively terrified for
the first evening, specailly as the only people I'd really met
were Wendy, Bridgette, Ruby and Gabby -- and they were all so
busy! Going out from chips was good as I got to meet a few people
on the walk over, and I remember Ricardo kindly buying me cider
:)
The
second day was much better. I felt a bit less terrified and
I really enjoyed the talks. I (finally) met up with Chelle,
who I'd been emailing for weeks before the con and I seem to
rememebr having very long conversations about AMerican football
with Paul (Bridgette's husband.... don't ask!)
Bridgette, Wendy and Jess
Overall
I think the BEST bit about it all was meeting all the people
I've known about/become friends with online. It was fantastic
to spend time with a group of people who have all done something
slightly DIFFERENT with their lives. I grew up in such a NORMAL
country setting, and I've spent such a long time at university
surrounded by people who do science, get a job, get married,
have kids... it seems sometimes that I'm in limbo because I'm
still at Uni after 7 years, don't have an income, don't have
a house... but it just reminded me that none of that matters
-- I'm doing what I chose to do, and thats what is important.
A
weird conclusion to reach after a convention to celebrate Storm's
work, but honestly -- it had that much of an impact on me.
Some
talks I should mention as enjoyable (I'm not going to include
panel discussions beciase they were all great fun). Gail-Nina's
two talks on the vampire myth in modern society were great,
I really enjoyed hearing Anne Sudworth talk about her artwork
and really wish I could have afforded one of her prints, and
of course Andy Collins talks about the Grigori were fascinating
(I only wish the lights weren't down -- I had lecture-itis and
kept nodding off!!).
Many
thanks to Ruby and Chris and Brigitte and Paul for spending
so much time with me (and for checking I wasn't being stalked
by that weird man who gatecrashed the party!)
