I attended FOGCon last weekend and had a very relaxed and enjoyable experience. It wasn’t technically my first time at the con. Last year I attended Sunday only. This year I was there from Friday night through Sunday.
I say most because I didn’t arrive until Friday night after a horrible commute. My day job requires me to be on site the first ten days of the month, so I wasn’t able to take Friday off. I left work at 4:30 and arrived there at 6:30, just in time to get dinner and hang out with some friends I hadn’t seen since Convolution last November. I registered, attended a reading, and then headed back to the bar to hang out with my friends and make some new ones.
Saturday was a busy day. I was rushing around, but not because I was involved in the Writer’s Workshops or that I had a masquerade to prepare for. Instead there were non-stop panels, sometimes two or three at the same time, that I wanted to attend. I did find time to browse the Dealer’s Room between panels and meals. Of course I ended up in a long conversation with the one who was knitting socks between customers. Once the panels were done for the evening, I spent more time hanging out in the bar. I find that highly amusing that I spent so much time at the bar because I don’t drink.
Sunday I meant to attend more panels, but instead got sucked into a writing circle. I wrote a thousand words, but more importantly, reconnected with and made new friends. I did attend the feedback panel. Then it was time to go after one last goodbye.
All in all it was a fun, low-key weekend. Perhaps it’s because I wasn’t there to perform in a masquerade or have my work critiqued in a writer’s workshop, or speak on a panel, but I felt like the pressure wasn’t on me, a welcome relief. I have already bought my membership for next year, and look forward to attending.