A-Kon 25 - 2014

This past weekend was A-Kon 24 in Dallas, TX at the lovely Hilton Anatole! This was my fifth year to attend, and my third year staying at the hotel where it's hosted at. I feel a little bad I wasn't at all very social this year and didn't even get to meet up with some people I had made plans with, but nonetheless I still had a wonderful time. A-Kon to me is much more than an anime convention, it's also my vacation!

Last year A-Kon moved to a new venue, the Hilton Anatole. It was out-of-control craziness in almost every way! The parking sucked, the convention got way too crowded in certain areas such as the hallway to the artist alley and dealers room, and there were long lines everywhere. Luckily, this year those issues were solved and it was less stressful and more enjoyable. My only complaint for this year was the parking situation still sucked. The hotel parking is overpriced, and there were a lot of people who either got scammed or got their car towed.

Thursday afternoon my boyfriend, Alex, and I headed over to the Anatole to pick up our badges we had per-registered for. This process went by extremely smooth since we had donated $$$ a month ago to A-Kon's charity initiative. And because of that we got to skip the line completely! I loved this! Compared to last year when I waited in line for four hours. We were in and out of there in less than ten minutes. I am totally doing the same thing for next year if that option is available again.

I'd like to thank Tiffany for styling my wig!

I woke up early on Friday because I was so excited to get into my new cosplay for the first time. It took about two hours to fully transform into Chii. I took my time on getting ready since I did my makeup in a different style than usual, and had to untangle and style a very long wig. I loved cosplaying Chii! She's definitely the cutest character I've ever done, and it was so much fun.

Found a Freya! (Gosh I am so short! ;_;)

 Unfortunately I didn't get many photos this year since my cosplay kind of kept me from using it. But I did happen to snatch a picture of these awesome Pokemon cosplayers!

Alex and I shared our hotel room with our friends Judy and Bjarni. We all hung out and partied the whole weekend. I had a lot of fun spending time with them! Judy dressed up as Ed from Cowboy Bebop. :3

My loot! The dealers room and artist alley had so much awesome stuff. I'm glad I made a budget for myself or I would've gone crazy! My favorite purchase is the Sailor Moon Super S fannypack!

I also got myself an awesome unicorn kigurumi. I pretty much passed out after I took this picture. HAHA! It's so comfy!

I'm sure I am leaving out a lot of other stuff, but overall I had an awesome time and can't wait until next year!

How to Survive Going to Anime Conventions

A-kon, the oldest and biggest running anime convention in North America, is just around the corner and I am so excited my heart just may stop. It's exactly 5 weeks from today and I'll be spending most of my time up until then preparing for it.  This will be my sixth year to attend A-kon, and my third year staying at the hotel it is located at...so I'd like to consider myself a veteran when it comes to con going.

Preparing for a convention is an art form. It is important in order to get the most out of your experience. I've compiled a list of things to bring and prepare for. I hope you find it useful :]

• MONEY!!! Preferably cash...sometimes certain vendors only accept cash, and/or the ATM on site may run out of money. BUT as technology advances most vendors are taking cards now. 
• Cosplay outfit it you have one as well as all the makeup and accessories used for your cosplay. Also, an emergency sewing kit. (Needle, thread, hot glue, duct tape, scissors, safety pins, whatever!)
• Sharpies if you want to get something signed. :]
• DEAR GOD BRING ALL YOUR PERSONAL HYGIENE STUFF! TOOTHPASTE, MOUTHWASH, FLOSS, DEODORANT, SHAMPOO, CONDITIONER, SOAP! Seriously, it's a giant place full of hot sweaty nerds, some who obviously don't know what a shower is. Don't contribute to the nasty smelliness! It is not healthy and it's offensive to everyone! Take a shower each day of the con!
• 4 days worth of clean clothes. Don't forget your underwear!
• Comfortable shoes. Whether you're cosplaying or not, brand new non-broken in shoes are not fun at all. Remember, you will be walking alot.
• Energy bars and water bottles are a smart idea. Especially at a con like A-kon where it's during 100+ degree summer weather in Texas.
• Packing a sandwich or any type of snack/food/drink in a cooler if you are on a tight budget. Food and drinks tend to be expensive at cons.
• DRUGS AND ALCOHOL ;p
• Extra bag to carry all your cool new loot!
• Cell phone. It's very easy to get separated from your friends at a con.
• Camera.
• NINTENDO 3DS!...If you have one. It's a great place to get tons of street passes and easily fill up your Mii Plaza with different people from different places.
• Chargers/batteries for all the personal gadgets you are bringing.
• HAND SANITIZER. This kinda goes in hand with the personal hygiene thing. Everything you touch has most likely already been touched by nerds who don't ever wash their hands. 
• LOTS OF PATIENCE! Just have an overall good attitude. It will be crowded and there will be lines everywhere and you will have to wait for some things, but it's also a great time to chat with people and make new friends.

Well, there is everything essential that I could think of. Of course, if you are staying at the hotel you'll want to pack even more stuff.

While we are on the subject of preparing for conventions here is a sneak peak of the cosplay I am preparing for. :3