Trying to make the future.

I didn't go to Vividcon. Not just this year, but in any year - so it's equally correct for me to say I never went to Vividcon. I don't mind. I'm vidding-adjacent at best, vidding-appreciative for the most part. I mind having missed it only in the same way I mind having missed things like Barenaked Ladies concerts before Steven Page left the band. It would have been lovely, and it wouldn't have been something that could've happened, based on so many surrounding circumstances.

Still. It's making me think of the con-going atmosphere I miss. Yes, I was at Con.Txt just a couple of weeks ago. Yes, I started missing that minutes after walking out the hotel doors. Yes, there's nothing quite like a con, and there's some upcoming cons I don't want to miss if I can help it. Big cons. There's something nice about a convivial, close atmosphere where the number of attendees doesn't overwhelm, and there's a different sort of nice where you can't ever hope to talk to everyone.

These upcoming con situations are themselves complicated for being in cities I've never really seen and would like at least a day to explore.

ConFabCon, which I've registered for and done absolutely nothing else to prepare, is in Chicago. I'd love to see the Art Institute, or some of the parks, or absolutely anything that makes the city what it is.

Escapade, which I've never been to and would require a hell of a lot of coordination, is in Los Angeles. I'd love to visit the city itself, and to see the Pacific again.

I guess what I'm saying is, does anyone have any advice or contacts or a willingness to spend an extra day or two in either of those cities?