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A Personal Reality About Conventions by r-a-blackpaws
Okay...this has come up again due to being invited to a couple of conventions...so I feel the need to explain this, in plain American:
Conventions equal major stress for me.
Financially, the combination of hotel plus registration plus travel is often at least a full paycheck for me. Add in spending money at the convention...and that is an entire month's income. Gone.
Psychologically...put a shy, introverted person in a narrow, confined space with a bunch of people. Panic attack waiting to happen? Putting it mildly. Add in discomfort around fursuiters...and yeah, even more stress that's not needed.
Length of time? I have to fight with work to get ANY time off...and for a convention, I basically have to take a week off (Thursday-Monday). Oh, and work LOVES to not give paid time off...so yeah, extra income losses. Heck, I can't even get time off to go to the local furry con, MCFC (Motor City Furry Con)...which is LITERALLY a fifteen-minute drive from my place. >.<
School. The new addition to the equation. With school costing me between $350-500 a month, that's even more money I don't have for a convention. So yeah: take an already tight wallet and make it essentially a size zero.
That's why the ideal convention for me wasn't even a furry con. It was JAFAX, an anime convention. Arrive Friday, convention Saturday, leave Sunday. Was free registration, rooms were $200 for the whole weekend...a nice, cheap convention. Lots of people, but also lots of space too.
To go to a furry con, this is literally what I have to do:
-put in for the time off a year in advance
-devote my entire tax return to funding it
-fight and argue and remind work as the date approaches that I have the time off
-make sure classes have no big projects due that week or early the next week (new wrinkle)
-make sure the people I would be rooming with don't flake on me (not an issue if I get a solo room, which I have done before)
-make sure the convention still EXISTS
-confirm hotel reservations
-submit paid time off forms three weeks out from convention (a thing work does: you can't actually request paid leave until three weeks before your event)
-wait for paid leave to be approved
-check financials and school the week of con
-pack
-travel
-"enjoy" (yes, enjoy is in quotes)
With all of that, is it any wonder I haven't been to a furry convention in almost three years?
A Personal Reality About Conventions
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It's a really hard thing to deal with. Again, that's why I loved JAFAX so much. Before they moved to an actual convention center, they were on a college campus. Lots of open spaces, minimal sardine-age.
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I get edgy just being in a big mall. Back when I was out west, if I ended up in West Edmonton Mall, I'd actually hit the bridal wing if I needed a breather, the place had like 6 gown stores with like 2 customers.
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I do get hyper-vigilant when in crowds...which leads to added stress and anxiety. Always need an escape plan. ^.^
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-make sure the convention still EXISTS
I snerked. Mostly because this has actually happened twice to me. I'm all "oh man my life is going okay enough that I can probably go next year! ... what do you mean it was the last year..?"
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I mentioned that because, while conventions seem to be breeding like rabbits, some also tend to vanish without a trace. Thus, one does need to confirm that the convention actually still exists. ^.^
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Feathergrove
I haven't been to one at all, for a lot of the reasons you listed. Social anxiety in packed space, WHEE!