Being Prepared for Anime Conventions

We all know being prepared is a good thing. Twice a year I attend an Anime Convention. One in Portland called Kamori-con and one in Seattle called Sakura-con. Conventions can be draining physically and mentally. So I've come up with a few things to get me through. I will tell you now that at the end of most conventions I am sick or getting sick. Lack of sleep and lack of proper nutrition takes it out of me.

Lets start with pre-con preparation. I go grocery shopping for caffeinated cola, candy, and granola bars. The caffeine and the sugar with keep you awake, while the granola will keep you from passing out. Some people also buy beef jerky or power bars. Coffee's good to and if you have the money to buy it everyday twice or maybe three times a day do it. But I know I want all my money to go to shopping. It's bad enough that you have to pay for the hotel room, you don't want to wast your money. If you want to you can buy other snack food that can be kept in your room and drink, like juice or bottled water. I don't drink during conventions so I don't get tired, but it your going to drink why not bring your own.

Now I want to talk about food. During the con you need to snack to keep your energy up. Vending machine's are expensive, that's why you bring your own food. Also don't skip meals. I know you don't want to spend your money on food which is why you eat cheap. In most con handbooks there is a map of the surrounding area and a list of food vendors. Find the cheep places and just go there all weekend. I don't care of your sick of burgers and fries it's cheap. Also and this is very important KEEP HYDRATED. That means drinking water, soda does NOT hydrate you. There will be water everywhere. When you see water drink it even if you don't think your thirsty. You'll feel better for it.

Next sleep, I know there are people who come to con's with out rooms and try to stay up all night and sleep in Anime viewing rooms when they can. This works at Sakura-con since the convention is 24. People sleep is important. Even if you only get a couple hours, thats still sleep. When I'm at Sakura-con I'll go back to my room for a few hours just to lay down when there's nothing I want to do. If the time for my nap is short I won't even change out of my costume completely. I usually end up wearing costumes that have many layers. I shed the top layers so I'm comfortable and then sleep in the rest. It cuts off time when I'm getting back into costume to go back to the con.

So there are my rules to live by. Eat when you can, drink fluids, keep sugar and caffeine running through you at all times and sleep when you can. if your lucky you won't get sick until after the convention. I would recommend taking the day after the con off and sleeping. I hope this is useful to someone. Good luck at your con!

The Idea

Writing a blog seams a little silly to me, which is why I'm wondering why I'm doing this. Do I want the world to know my every thought? Perhaps all I want to be is noticed. I love to write and have no one to read my work. My family is sick of listening to revisions of the same stories.

A little about me. I'm 22 and living with my parents, again. I dropped out of art school my 4th term and sat around for a while feeling sorry for myself. My mother told me I had to either get a job or go back to school. Since I had no job skills to fall back on I went back to school. It was to late to get into anything but Community College so thats were I am. Just over a year later I have over 60 credits I don't know what to do with. I keep taking classes trying to find my way again. My older sister has of course graduated from University and also cooking school. We're hoping I'm out of school by my ten year high school reunion. The plan right now is to start duel enrollment at a college here in town and slowly move away from community college. One day I want to teach English as a second language in Japan. My one true love. My fall back passion is writing. I have so many started and abandoned stories. Perhaps I will share some of my writing here. It's always nice to have an audience.

To get back to love, I will tell you now I have never been in love. Not that was ever returned. I have no great love story to tell. What I have are experiences. I had the joy of living in Italy as a student for three months last year. One of the most magical times of my life. I wrote e-mails very much like a blog to my family and friends back in the states. Perhaps I will bring some of those stories into here and post some of my old e-mails.

For my first entry I think thats good. I don't know if anyone will read this or find it interesting. In the end I guess I'm mostly doing this because I have a need to be heard. If anyone does read this and finds spelling and grammar errors please forgive me I'm dyslexic. Thats a fact not an excuse. If you find an error and want to tell me please do it with compassion. I wound easily.

Love Stork