First of all, I feel like this post is pretty timely. This fangirl spent a large chunk of her time earlier this week having anxiety because of the prospect of getting the photo ops I wanted at the convention I’m going to in Boston next month. And while this post isn’t entirely Star Wars related, it’s enough that I think it’s VERY relevant.
A few years ago I found out about Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, California. I decided to try to get a press pass to the event. Shockingly, I got one! So I decided that I had to go. I also decided to try to get this special Star Wars poster signed that I had hanging up in my home office. I only had the funds to get two signatures on it, but they were pretty special ones… Carrie Fisher and Peter Mayhew. I also splurged on a photo with Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill as a special gift for my friend Sarah who had been dealing with cancer at the time. She’s a big Star Wars fan. The whole “con” (convention) was a blast and led to potentially an addiction as well as a whole new way of making friends.
After going to Star Wars Celebration in 2015, I discovered that one of my favorite TV shows from high school was coming back with new episodes. My friend Jessie and I watched The X-Files religiously in high school, and we both had a bit of a teenage crush on David Duchovny aka Fox Mulder. Around the same time they announced the new episodes of the show, I also discovered that he was also both an author and singer. I found out he was doing a book signing in LA and came very close to going, but didn’t. When I heard he was coming to a comic con in Chicago, I took the opportunity. I had to go. That same con also ended up with some other major stars of The X-Files as well.
I went. And I had a blast. I got photos with the cast and autographs in an X-Files book I have. And… I made new friends. Quite a few of them. I added them all on Twitter and Facebook, and we all actually kept up with each regularly. Then we found out that David Duchovny was touring with his band. Oh man… I’d been listening to his album but never gotten to see him sing before. And my new friends (aka Duchovniacs) were getting a van to go together to see several shows in the Northeastern U.S. Alright, I was sold. I signed up. Again, I had a blast. And made more new friends!
Long story short, I learned that yes… there are people and movies and TV shows and even books and authors of which I’m just a really big fan. Someone once called me a professional fangirl. I feel like as this has sort of evolved, there’s a few things I’ve learned.
See, with our current lifestyle, we end up moving a lot. I’ve lived in four states in seven years. And honestly, it’s not easy making friends my age as an adult. A lot of them are in the phase of having kids and that takes up most of their social life. But with my “fandom” friends, they really do communicate with me on a daily or almost daily basis. And these people and movies and TV shows and books that I’m a fan of? They give me something to come back to when I’m feeling alone and having a hard time finding friends locally. They also give me something to talk (or sometimes obsess) about with my fandom friends.
In franchises like Star Wars or the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there’s always something new to talk about or obsess over. And lately, the coolest part of this is the ability to actually meet the stars of these shows or movies. Being able to travel? Meet the stars of the movies that I watch over and over that keep me company when I’m moving around all the time? Plus spend time with the friends who love the same things and have proven to be great day-to-day friends even despite the states and countries that separate us? Sounds like the ultimate good time to me!
So that… is why I’m into comic cons and traveling to them. Everybody’s got their thing. I’ve always loved certain movies and TV shows. Star Wars has basically been my thing since I was a teenager. I was ecstatic when we got more episodes with the prequels. And I’ve been a Thor and Loki fan since the beginning. Even before I understood the whole MCU interconnection or had even seen all the Marvel movies, I always went to see the latest Thor installment. And now… I have stumbled upon the opportunity to go get pictures with my two favorite Jedi and my two favorite Norse gods (or favorite Asgardians, take your pick) all in the same day while spending time with some of my closest friends.
So thank you, to whoever invented comic cons and the opportunity to gather with others that obsess over the same things you do. Because this lifelong fangirl is about to make some dreams come true again next month, and she’s excited to do it with some of the greatest friends she’s ever had!