And all I have to say is wow, this was probably the best con I've been to in at least two years. I was a bit worried because the last time I went to FurFright was....well, a disaster, in every sense of the word. My friend's mother was drunk the whole weekend, Hurricane Sandy hit, everybody went home early, I didn't get a spot in the Artist Alley, Sandy stranded us for 2 extra days, my friends were fighting with each other, and I got creeped on quite a bit... But none of that happened this time!

I got to hang out with a bunch of friends like keedot, nevask, mantis and poprockgrey, and meet a bunch of new ones (especially clementine, weissvicious on FA, and leelee, plus an awesome group of non-binary folks I had a really great discussion with BUT DIDNT GET YOUR NAMES SO IF THAT WAS YOU PLEASE LET ME KNOW)! I got plenty of work done and had so much to do Saturday that I ended up closing for commissions somewhere around noon lol! In retrospect I probably should have continued taking some Saturday and just kept working through Sunday and closed Sunday, but that day off was looking reeeaaally friendly lol. I managed to get some things for myself and my boyfriend/parents but didn't spend too much. And I had the BEST GODDAMN SANDWICH OF MY LIFE at the restaurant in the lobby. Made lots of spoopy jokes after a very interesting game of werewolf. Even ran into the creeper from 2012 a few times and...wasn't terribly bothered? Like I was able to be right next to him with no trouble. So that's good.

I also actually managed to make it into the pool for the first time at any convention ever. I always bring a towel and bathing suit and get really excited to get in and then I end up spending all my time working. But this time I actually found time! Twice! Plus the morning before leaving! And I didn't catch ebola so that's good too.

At several points in this con though I realized how much cons in general mean to me. Like yeah, the money is great and everything, and so is the publicity, but... I think even if I was just breaking even every time I'd still do it. I don't think I could really explain the feeling you get when someone walks by your table and stops dead in their tracks, then comes over and points at your portfolio and goes "Holy shit that's amazing!", or when they call their friends over to show them "Hey look it's that picture we saw on FA!", or when someone says your work was mentioned and recommended at a panel, or when they come over with a big smile and tell you how much they love your work and how they've been following you for years. There's really nothing like it. It kind of gives me a sense of...hope I guess? I don't know, I get pretty disheartened sometimes by the fact that I don't make enough on my art to sustain myself yet, and I'm worried I'll have to take another job that will suck up all the time and energy I could be using for art, and that I'll never reach that point I really want to. But moments like that at conventions are a really nice reminder that I am getting there, and I am progressing, and just that there are people who enjoy my work. Really great confidence booster. So BIG thank you to everyone who complimented me this weekend lol.

So now I'm home (after an entirely too-long drive thanks to NYC rush hour) and I've taken my recoup day, so now it's back to work. I've got some homework from the con to get through, and then I can open regular commissions again!