Life in Florida: Conventions

One of the best things about living in Florida is the opportunity to attend dozens of conventions. Whether you live close to Orlando or Tampa, there's a convention happening once every few months. I've been to a few conventions since I moved down here a little over two years ago. My first was Walker Stalker Con in June 2015. The others I've been to have been the following: Fan Fest Orlando in September 2016, Star Wars Celebration in April 2017, and the most recent one... MegaCon Orlando.

I never thought conventions were going to be something I would be interested in. While I work for Disney and go to the parks as a guest when I can, the idea of being surrounded by more people at a convention waiting around to meet celebrities never did appeal to me. All of that changed in 2015 when I heard of a Walker Stalker Con coming to the Orlando Convention Center. I've been a fan of The Walking Dead for a few years and when I heard starts like Steven Yeun were going to be there, well, I had to go, and how they had the cast of Lost there convinced me to attend.

And since I knew people at conventions cosplayed various characters, I decided to go as Maggie Greene since I had a Steven photo op. The second I entered the building my heart started bounding. The second I stepped foot on the floor I felt a wave of excitement come over me. I realized then that conventions were fun, a great place to chat and meet fans of various shows, and a great experience for the whole family. It's a lot of fun people watching and seeing families pull off a wonderful cosplay! I'm always impressed with the talent it takes to make such costumes.

The downside of conventions are the price for the ticket and the prices celebrities charge for selfies and autographs. Unless you have a savings dedicated for conventions, you will need to go on a strict budget and a concrete plan on who to see and when to leave to avoid going over budget. It can be a bit overwhelming and yet it's also a once in a lifetime experience for the few who can't afford to go so much. It can be okay to "treat yo self" every so often, my friends, haha. <3

I just went to MegaCon and had the time of my life! It made up for the horrible experience at Star Wars Celebration last month. If you want a story time post about said experience, be sure to leave your requests in the comments! :) Unlike Star Wars Celebration that I went to with my dad, it was organized from start to finish. The volunteers were helpful and polite as well. I had no complaints and walked away satisfied with the interactions I had.

And now that my introduction is out of the way... :)

STORY TIME.

Disney approved my time off on Saturday to go to the convention. I was thrilled since Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Norman Reedus were going to be there. I was going to go just for them and no one else, leave once I had my photo ops with them. I was disappointed when they cancelled due to filming conflicts and yet happy that I could use that money towards something else. However, when Paige O'Hara was announced as one of the guests, I bought my ticket right away so I could meet the voice behind my favorite Disney princess.

The night before I was struggling on whether or not I wanted to get a photo op with Tom Wilson. I have a Europe trip to save for and while I have a fund dedicated to do fun activities with my free time, I wasn't sure if meeting Tom Wilson... BIFF HIMSELF YOU GUYS... would be a wise decision. How can you not meet Biff though??? There's no questioning it.

Make like a tree and get outta here, folks. :D

They even had Jordan from The Walking Dead in attendance! He is a Floridan and commutes to and from Georgia when he has to film the show. We talked as if we knew each other for years. He was interested in getting to know me and because of how kind he was, I took that as an opportunity to tell him that I majored in film and want to work in the film industry.

Here are a few other photos taken from the convention for you guys to look at:

The voice of Prince Eric himself. 

YouTube celebrities known as Hannah and Hilly Hindi (sisters) from the Hillywood Show.

From meeting YouTube celebrities, seeing amazing cosplays, and meeting some of my favorite celebrities, this was probably one of my favorite conventions I've been to over the past two years. My favorite encounters of the day though were were Jordan, Paige, and Tom. They didn't rush me and were interested in getting to know me. They were the most polite and respectful celebrities to not only me but the fans in their line. I could not have asked for a better way to spend my Saturday! 

Fingers crossed that things will work for me to go to Walker Stalker Con in Atlanta next year.  

-B

Explore. Dream. Discover. | My Maryland & New York Vacation

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

I just got back from a two week stay in Maryland visiting friends and family. Maryland was where I was born and lived up until my birthday in January 2015 when I packed up my car and moved south. I visited in April of that same year and my recent trip happened two years later, which is something I want to avoid doing in the future. It was wonderful seeing my friends and family I haven't seen in so long and my tears showed it. Those who know me won't be surprised by that statement. :)

I landed earlier than expected and hoped that was a good sign when it came to picking up my rental car, but I was unfortunately stuck at the airport for 3 hours instead. I won't go into the details as it's a bit of a long story... haha but I did get a car from another company. My friends were kind enough in letting me stay with them for my entire stay. We had a lot of fun catching up and they were so kind in treating me to meals whenever we went out despite me telling them they didn't have to. Their love and support was greatly appreciated. I even made a new friend! Meet Mac, folks. A cute bird who ended up really liking me when I thought he didn't, haha!

My first week was quite a busy one as it was spent traveling to New Jersey for a few days to visit my Nana. I spent my time with her by exploring the neighboring city I love so much. I was able to visit the Plaza and Central Park for the first time, and both were beautiful and exceeded my expectations. If I had time to walk around the area more, my poor Nana would probably have to drag me out of the park by my teeth! It was just so beautiful and going on a carriage ride through the park provided us with a more in depth experience by learning about the history surrounding the park. Another highlight was seeing Phantom of the Opera for the fifth time the following day. And yes, my friends, you read that correctly. :) Five times... and still not enough! I sat literally four rows away from the stage. The opening where the chandelier is uncovered and when it crashed over my head was life changing, folks. Trust me on this one. Sitting in premium seats in the orchestra pit is the way you experience Phantom.

I could see every detail of their make-up, costumes, sets... I could see the expressions on their faces so clearly when they overcome with fear of the Phantom, and the love between Christine and Raoul during All I Ask of You. Did I mention that song gives me goosebumps? No? Oops! Everything about the musical was a masterpiece! It felt as if I was watching the show for the first time. I've had the pleasure to see Hugh Panaro, Mary Michael Patterson, and Jeremy Hays prior to this latest performance each time (keep in mind that my first time seeing the musical was when I turned 21). They have become three of my favorite theatre actors to bring the roles of Erik (the Phantom), Christine, and Raoul to life. Having the privilege to see Greg Mills, Ali Ewoldt, and Rodney Ingram for the first time was a memory I won't forget. They brought a different portrayal to their characters; giving them a modern feel while still holding true to their backstory.

Not only did I enjoy my time in New York visiting my Nana, I also enjoyed catching up with my Aunt Grace. She is such a kind and loving woman with a heart for God and loving others. It was wonderful having a rental car to get the opportunity to drive around the back roads I took to avoid traffic and see my old stomping grounds. When you're away from your old home for as long as I was, you tend to forget the beauty that you took for granted around you. Maryland really is a beautiful state. I didn't fully appreciate the beauty of God's creation as much as I wanted until I left. From the beautiful surroundings of Downton Annapolis and the trees covering the back roads, just driving around with no plans to guide me and WJTS 91.9 playing on the radio was relaxing. I really didn't want to leave.

Another reason why I didn't want to leave was due to catching up with close friends. When I met up with some of my best friends like Katie, Nancy, and Maggie, I couldn't help but let a few tears fall down my face the second I hugged them. The same can also be said for my church family. After attending church with my family for many years and creating friendships with people that I think of as family, I moved memberships and joined another church since I was so active with their youth program. Being in Maryland for two weeks allowed me to attend both churches, to reconnect with people I also consider to be some of my best friends. However, my last two days in Maryland really bring my vacation in full circle.

I spent the majority of the day with the Reid's. They are a family that is just so kind, loving, and encouraging. They're practically a second family to me in a sense that in the 10+ years we've known each other, they have been there for me and my family and encouraged me when school challenged me. They even know how silly my family can be and still love being around us, haha! Mrs. Reid invited me to see Beauty and the Beast (which was also my fifth time seeing... haha) with her, Joanna, and Juliana. We continued the fun day by having pizza at their home, great conversation, coffee punch, and then a very entertaining game of Phase 10. That night really made me realize how much I missed Maryland and the people in it. It reminded me that I can't let two years go by before another visit. It reminded me how grateful I am to have so many kind and wonderful people in my life. I miss everyone and already I want to go back!

It also reminded me that I love to travel and don't do much of it. Growing up I would drive down here to Florida to vacation at Disney World. I went up to New Hampshire when I was younger but I don't remember much of it. I went to California twice with the most recent trip being last June... not enough!

I AM OFFICIALLY GOING TO EUROPE IN THE SUMMER OF 2018!

Coming to that realization has made me want to travel all over the world. There are beautiful states I want to visit here, but I'm sure I will want to visit Europe as often as I can once I visit Scotland, London, and Ireland next summer. Groupon and Living Social have some amazing deals that I want to look into more once I get back from Europe.

Here's to visiting more gorgeous states and countries in person instead of admiring God's creation on paper. :)

-B

P.S. - I need to get better at this whole blogging thing... :P