By Amanda
SATURDAY
Learn Your Body’s Needs and Listen to Them
All right, all right, this is something that I should have already mastered, but we all constantly develop and grow. This bullet is anecdotal—adjust per your own experience and advice from your doctor. My first mistake was not realizing that I wouldn’t be able to sleep more than three hours Wednesday night. Those three hours were marvelous, but then I started thinking about what I’d not remembered to pack, started making new lists, and let anxiety take over. The next morning, I was great until our first flight was delayed, which led to not being able to eat and drink on a proper schedule. On and on until I got a headache, which started the slippery slope that led to being in bed all day Saturday thanks to a compromised immune system and the person who gave me a low-grade fever. Why didn’t I even pack aspirin?!
I always buy a cheap water bottle at a gas station or drug store and refill that bitch at every water cooler at the back of panel rooms. I also invest in trail mix or protein bars. Because no matter how hard I try, my eating schedule will be thrown off. And for those of you who also suffer when there’s a major time difference change, well they have migraine medicine prescriptions. Because I never had a problem at other cons, I thought I would do just as well this time. Nope. Lesson learned.
SUNDAY
Follow @PAX_lines
Even on Sunday, I was explaining this marvelous Twitter account to someone who had been to PAX over a handful of times. This gem lets you know in real time when certain panel lines start forming, when they are half full, and when there is some extra room left in less crowded panels. It also informs you when certain collectable items are sold out for the day, so you don’t have to waste your time running to pick up a pin or shirt. Another bonus is that you never need to unfollow the account if you go to multiple PAX events. In between PAX East and Prime, I never once was harassed by annoying advertisements or reminders.
Sunday was my primary exploration day. I saw more of the Expo Halls, scoped out what games I wanted to try, and planned purchases. Sony had my favorite setup of all exhibitors. The Bloodborne area looked creepy and low-lit with fake torches and axes. Evolve had a massive creature, which clogged one entrance to the Expo Hall with photo takers. Nintendo finally made it to a PAX, but their presence in the hallways with booths to play Hyrule Warriors and other games was more appreciated and diverted some foot traffic.
Participate on Twitter
We got sushi near the Seattle waterfront then headed back up the hill toward the convention area. One of my friends noticed a text from a certain professional game player, and we decided to hang out at GameWorks. I played DDR for the first time in a decade (horribly) and selected all of the wrong cases in Deal or No Deal. Not only did my friend get an autograph, but we had a great time and walked out with handfuls of candy.
Being a part of that online community gives you real-time access to the people you’re there to see. While I don’t advocate having your nose stuck in your phone the entire time, dipping in while you have a spare moment waiting for your turn at Adventure Time can lead to unexpected adventures. And above all: be flexible in what you do; don’t be afraid to do your own stuff, but also they might know something you don’t about an event.
MONDAY
I used more time this morning to play Indie games. The Expo Hall was surprisingly still full, but in hindsight it lent the final day more excitement rather than leaving an empty feeling. Many exhibitors also had sales, so if you notice that there’s a giant stock of something you want, you’d probably be safe waiting until the final day of the con to buy. Do not do this if you see Super Saiyan Goku Funkos. While I enjoyed being able to leisurely stroll the Indie Dev section, three days at PAX were more than enough to explore everything we wanted to see. (I’ll share more about the indie games in another post!)
Monday was otherwise a lazy day. We visited the aquarium and watched the LCS finals. By the end of the day, my boyfriend realized he didn’t have a game to play on his 3DS on the way home, so of all places we went to GameStop—and came out with a 20-inch-tall Mario. My very last lesson: pack an extra bag, because you never know how many of your boyfriend’s Funkos that you’ll be sticking in your Ninja Turtles backpack for the ride home.
How was your PAX? Or Dragon*Con or Fan Expo? Do anything else nerdy over Labor Day weekend? Share your adventures in the comments below.
Learn Your Body’s Needs and Listen to Them
All right, all right, this is something that I should have already mastered, but we all constantly develop and grow. This bullet is anecdotal—adjust per your own experience and advice from your doctor. My first mistake was not realizing that I wouldn’t be able to sleep more than three hours Wednesday night. Those three hours were marvelous, but then I started thinking about what I’d not remembered to pack, started making new lists, and let anxiety take over. The next morning, I was great until our first flight was delayed, which led to not being able to eat and drink on a proper schedule. On and on until I got a headache, which started the slippery slope that led to being in bed all day Saturday thanks to a compromised immune system and the person who gave me a low-grade fever. Why didn’t I even pack aspirin?!
I always buy a cheap water bottle at a gas station or drug store and refill that bitch at every water cooler at the back of panel rooms. I also invest in trail mix or protein bars. Because no matter how hard I try, my eating schedule will be thrown off. And for those of you who also suffer when there’s a major time difference change, well they have migraine medicine prescriptions. Because I never had a problem at other cons, I thought I would do just as well this time. Nope. Lesson learned.
SUNDAY
Follow @PAX_lines
Even on Sunday, I was explaining this marvelous Twitter account to someone who had been to PAX over a handful of times. This gem lets you know in real time when certain panel lines start forming, when they are half full, and when there is some extra room left in less crowded panels. It also informs you when certain collectable items are sold out for the day, so you don’t have to waste your time running to pick up a pin or shirt. Another bonus is that you never need to unfollow the account if you go to multiple PAX events. In between PAX East and Prime, I never once was harassed by annoying advertisements or reminders.
Sunday was my primary exploration day. I saw more of the Expo Halls, scoped out what games I wanted to try, and planned purchases. Sony had my favorite setup of all exhibitors. The Bloodborne area looked creepy and low-lit with fake torches and axes. Evolve had a massive creature, which clogged one entrance to the Expo Hall with photo takers. Nintendo finally made it to a PAX, but their presence in the hallways with booths to play Hyrule Warriors and other games was more appreciated and diverted some foot traffic.
Participate on Twitter
We got sushi near the Seattle waterfront then headed back up the hill toward the convention area. One of my friends noticed a text from a certain professional game player, and we decided to hang out at GameWorks. I played DDR for the first time in a decade (horribly) and selected all of the wrong cases in Deal or No Deal. Not only did my friend get an autograph, but we had a great time and walked out with handfuls of candy.
Being a part of that online community gives you real-time access to the people you’re there to see. While I don’t advocate having your nose stuck in your phone the entire time, dipping in while you have a spare moment waiting for your turn at Adventure Time can lead to unexpected adventures. And above all: be flexible in what you do; don’t be afraid to do your own stuff, but also they might know something you don’t about an event.
MONDAY
I used more time this morning to play Indie games. The Expo Hall was surprisingly still full, but in hindsight it lent the final day more excitement rather than leaving an empty feeling. Many exhibitors also had sales, so if you notice that there’s a giant stock of something you want, you’d probably be safe waiting until the final day of the con to buy. Do not do this if you see Super Saiyan Goku Funkos. While I enjoyed being able to leisurely stroll the Indie Dev section, three days at PAX were more than enough to explore everything we wanted to see. (I’ll share more about the indie games in another post!)
Monday was otherwise a lazy day. We visited the aquarium and watched the LCS finals. By the end of the day, my boyfriend realized he didn’t have a game to play on his 3DS on the way home, so of all places we went to GameStop—and came out with a 20-inch-tall Mario. My very last lesson: pack an extra bag, because you never know how many of your boyfriend’s Funkos that you’ll be sticking in your Ninja Turtles backpack for the ride home.
How was your PAX? Or Dragon*Con or Fan Expo? Do anything else nerdy over Labor Day weekend? Share your adventures in the comments below.