This past weekend, I attended my second PAX East.

I spent a lot of time trying new tabletop games in the Demo area and hanging out in Indie Games. I have friends with massive game collections so I can try games easier than most, but picking and choosing randomness that even they might not have/want, is priceless.

Shouts out to all the people who played games like Shadowfist, HexHex, Legend of the Cipher, Food Fight, Lords of Waterdeep and that cool magnet game with me.You all helped rock my PAX! None of that girls drool and fake geek girl nonsense here.

I do have to get better on the “let’s play more games” together bit though. Seriously.

Surprise surprise that the support-local-support-small-business girl loved Indie Games. I am especially in love with Color Sheep. I heart Woolson the sheep. He is now one of my desktop backgrounds. Oh and a non-digital indie note, I picked up Freemarket. That game was created for me. I may have thrown my hands in the air and shouted “YES!” as it was described for me. Post-apocalypse, sci-fi, non-killing ‘cause everyone’s mostly immortal RPG? Bring it on! Ridiculously excited about this game. If only I could pull myself away from that damn sheep.  

I didn’t move around the con much this year, no panels, no concerts, no classic console gaming, etc. So on the whole, my experience seemed a little disjointed or maybe unbalanced. I’m still trying to figure it out. But I have a theory and why yes, it does revolve back to that good ole Consumer vs. Producer balance. So glad you noticed.

Maybe I’m spoiled.

PAX isn’t the only convention I attend. Don’t be too jealous, I started my con going late in life. Well late-ish since I was at the tail end of my twenties. I make the rounds to sci-fi conventions, comic-cons and this year, the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) which was held in Boston. At those, I always find something that inspires me to create something or explore ideas, such as writing that short story idea I’ve been noodling, reading a new books or trying new costuming elements.

I’m not sure that attending panels or the QAs or more concerts would help this sinking feeling. I could be wrong, and feel free to point it out to me, but those seem to boost and foster that sense of community.  I definitely dig the “people here get me” community that happens at cons. That in and of itself is a big part of why I attend. But it’s not my sole purpose for going.

Of course, again,  I’m might be spoiled.

At home with I have a solid circle of friends is just as geeky and creative as me. Granted it isn’t 24/7, but anytime I want to hold a Grill Friday or attend a Games by PlayDate event or shout out on Twitter, they’re there.

None of this will prevent me from attending more PAXs, on the contrary I’ll keep going, having fun and exploring. I guess this is my own personal Dead Dog party back into the introspection of post-con reality.