asian-invasion

I’ll spare the details of the boring six-hour bus trip from Norfolk, VA to Baltimore. We arrived at around 2:30pm and found a cab to our hotel (Brookshire Suites) almost without delay. After a driver trying to stiff me for ten dollars two years before on a trip I know is worth seven at best, I always make sure the meter is running. Check.

As soon as my wife and I arrive to the hotel, Ashley (someone we found on the Otakon BBS) was waiting for us. I checked in and we all went upstairs to the two-room suite on the 7th floor. Not a bad view, but it was better upstairs in the Cloud Club…

Hmmm, that’s a long way down

…where we would be joined by our friends Jessica, Alex and his girlfriend’s brother, Elian, and Lily for snacks.

“Hi, I’m Alex.”

Jessica and Elian (looks and sounds 12, but almost 20)

After that, we all headed to the Baltimore Convention Center (more like Compound since a hotel is being built and connected to it) to pick up our badges. There were hundreds of people in front hanging out or waiting in line, some in costume already.

Near and Matt from Death Note

A girl in more traditional Asian attire

There was a steady stream of people adding themselves to the line as it worked its way inside BCC where there would be over a thousand more pre-registered attendees at any given time. The way Otakon staff moved over 7000 people in and out so fluidly and in less than five hours was commendable.

The scene outside the BCC at around 7:pm

One-half of the registration booths

Our group went back to the hotel after taking more pictures and wandering the Inner Harbor for a brief time. Jessica and my wife worked on their costumes a bit more while Elian, Ashley, and our final roomie Jenni played together on their Nintendo DS games.

Ashley and Elian playing games together

Lily passed out on the floor. Alex, his friend, and I went out to 7-11 around the corner and hung out for a spell before deciding to get back to the room.

I love convention Thursdays. No pressure of keeping a schedule, being with people I like whom I only see once or twice a year, and just being somewhere other than home creates an energy which keeps me from getting the kind of sleep I usually need. It won’t stop me from having fun on Friday, when the adventure begins…

Trackback URI | Comments RSS