Reblog: Wincon memories

river-b:

I’ve just spent the best part of an hour (all definitions of ‘best part’) reading back over my Wincon posts, from the first nervous-packing ones before Baltimore in 2008. Now, my cheeks hurt from grinning and I’ve got tears in my eyes, which pretty well sums up Wincon and fandom for me.
Wincon, though it started out as an SPN con, is now a multi-fannish, fan-run con, that is hosted in different cities every year. This means that even if one is across the country, the next one could well be in your backyard. It’s a place to get together with old friends, make new ones, and squee about all your fannish obsessions.
Before that first con, I was pretty sure that everyone I met would find they didn’t like me nearly so much in person as they professed to online. By the second one, I was eagerly anticipating hugs from all my friends, and new people as well. It’s become one of the biggest highlights of my year.
from my first Wincon report:

there was more talk of boys, buttsex, slash, writing, fangirls, tin hats, show, and everything related, and this made me happy. Sam and Lucy seemed to survive my using their friendship to prove that Jared and Jensen are head over heels in love, my fangirling of their writing, and my pottymouth. clexmonkey survived my intense curiosity about the newsletter and the coding thereof, and waterofthemoon only smirked a little at me and Lucy intently discussing commas. Everyone else possibly scarred by my fangirlish glee kept it to themselves. I cannot tell you how much I cherish the time spent talking fic with fangirls. There is nothing more awesome.

I still think about that comma conversation often, and the part of the conversation where Lucy had very strong feelings about the use of ellipsis in dialogue and out.
one of the highlights of my second year, in Denver:

After that it was PROM. OMG, so amazing. SO. SO. AMAZING. We got back to the hotel just as it was supposed to be starting, and Sam, Lucy and I rushed up to our room to get prettified. They both looked gorgeous in their dresses, which was a theme of the evening. I was wearing my slinky black trousers and a black lacy corset with my pink Docs. I felt a little like early 90s Madonna, only without the PR talent. (or the dancing etc, whatever *g*) cathybites was an amazing DJ and also treated us to a couple hotass dance routines :D there was dancing, singing, drinking, flirting, awesome decorations, incredible costumes, yummy food, raffle prizes, boobs everywhere, and some absolutely stunning dresses. Best time I’ve had at a dance ever.

After we were required to vacate the ballroom, we went and changed, and went down to the bar where we had more fangirl time, because there can never be enough of that. I finally gave up the ghost at 2 am and went to bed.

from my third year in Chicago, after which missyjack and I road-tripped from Chicago to LA in five days:

Saturday I managed to lurk in one of the common areas trying to type up some fic and chatting with people and tackle-glomping deirdre_c when she arrived. Then I went to the tin hat pageant and Fic Idol, where I spent most of the time looking at Adam and Tommy gifs on my netbook and cuddling up with becka in order to block out the scarring fic :D That night I went with nine others to California Pizza Kitchen for dinner, and after quite a long wait and some staff-wrangling by deirdre_c we finally got tables. There may or may not have been straw-wrapper fights with the other table. There was definitely delicious food shared with realmenwearpuppypants.

Then it was PROM. omg Prom at Wincon is THE BEST EVER. All those women dancing and drinking and laughing and dressed up and being totally gorgeous.

fourth year was in New Orleans:

So yeah. Wincon. Was amazeballs. In every way. I haven’t laughed so much in such a short time in FOREVER. At one point I was laughing so much that I legit thought I was going to vomit, which wasn’t exactly great? except for how laughing that hard is healing. (a room full of fangirls burst into Tomorrow from Annie and sang THE. WHOLE. THING.) I wanted to get this stuff down while I was dwelling on it. And waiting for my plane.

fifth year in Dallas:

There were some great panels, lots of great conversations in the lounge, good meals, lots of bacon, and then prom. I FUCKING LOVE WINPROM. Every year is better than the year before. cathybites is a phenomenal DJ, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching her with an iPad rather than a pair of headphones pressed to her ear. We live in the future.

The lights were up for lots of the night which meant we could see everyone’s outfits, and also could see the hot women making out with each other. I approved of this wholeheartedly. Also, making out is FUN, and I like it a lot. Because the hotel has a nightclub in the building, we were allowed to prom until 1am instead of the usual midnight, which was also awesome. I drank rather more than I needed to, so if I offended anyone with my open appreciation of your breasts, I would like to apologise.

sixth year in Vegas was cut short by a horrifying stomach bug for me, but was still great:

In the hotel, on my part there was a lot of screaming about the boys from One Direction and the girls from Little Mix, sharing of stickers and decorating of cups, playing of Spanking Yoda, and screaming about One Direction some more. A group of us also played a Breakfast Show drinking game along with Nick Grimshaw’s breakfast show (which on Pacific time airs live at 10:30 at night). I gave up and went to bed just after midnight, though others stayed the 3.5 hour distance. I didn’t make it to as many panels as I’d hoped, due to the whole sick thing, but the kink panel was excellent, and the incest panel was enthusiastic as always :D

This year, I didn’t get to go. I had to be an adult and go to work and earn money and all sorts of nonsense things like that, and I thought I was okay with it, but it was really hard. I missed my girls and my prom and all the powerful positivity that it gives me in that run-up to winter. But missing it made me realize that I have come a long, long way from the terrified woman who bought her tickets and packed her bags for a long weekend back in 2008.

Winprom is the most positive, life-affirming, wonderful few hours of my year. The one plus side is that this year I need it far less than any other year since 2008. I feel hot/sexy/pretty/saucy/gorgeous at least a few times a month now, just strutting around in a dress, or sashaying in my jeans. But nothing on earth feels like that night with those women, jumping up and down, singing Carry On My Wayward Son.

My years in fandom have been wonderful, and life-changing, and the best of my life, and they’ve been, for the most part, punctuated by a weekend in October where I get to hug and squee and put on my gladrags and dance the night away.
In keeping up with the times and the economy and the changes in fandom, Wincon is expanding this year. Details are here at the indegogo campaign page, where you can get tickets and great fannish swag.
It’s neither hyperbole nor exaggeration to say that Wincon changed my life. I hope to continue to celebrate it for years to come. Come along and see if Wincon might be for you!