It’s a warm Friday afternoon at the end of April and as I begin down the steps from Victoria Park Stampede Station, I see the crowds for the first time and I wonder, “What did I ever get myself into?” After walking all the way across the grounds before realizing that I had gone the wrong way, I manage to find someone who is able to direct me to the media desk where I am to pick up my weekend pass to the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo. Once at the desk, I am granted my pass with little trouble. Little did I know, the simple act of finding my way through the throng of people would be by far my easiest task of the weekend.
**Disclaimer: I’m no photographer, I didn’t have the greatest camera and the lighting wasn’t great for taking indoor shots without flash or beefy equipment. I apologize sincerely in advance.
This was the my very first taste of Calgary Expo and if I had to describe my first few minutes there in one word, it would be overwhelmed. It was not my original intention to be going alone, but that’s how it turned out, so I had to program myself to act on instinct almost immediately. The last thing that I needed in a crowded, busy and fast-paced environment was to overthink something and either make a fool of myself, miss something important, or both.
I ended up going in through the back by the media desk, so at least I didn’t need to brave the crowds to get into the BMO Centre. Once I was in, it was like I was in a different world. Although the sheer volume of people and their creative, colourful and downright amazing outfits, cosplays and getups shouldn’t have been any surprise to me, I felt totally underdressed in my plain v-neck, leggings and Ravenclaw scarf. After I shook off my initial worries about my own appearance, I was more at ease, and slowly I melted into the completely different universe that was Expo. Within my first five minutes of wandering aimlessly, I had already caught glimpses at Jason Isaacs, John Barrowman and Garrett Wang, and that’s really when the reality of where I was really set in. I AM IN THE PRESENCE OF VERY AMAZING AND FAMOUS PEOPLE AND WOW I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO OPERATE AS A FUNCTIONAL HUMAN BEING RIGHT NOW.
I was probably in some form of measurable shock for a solid ten minutes until my rationality broke through the layers of fangirl that had engulfed me. I made my way to the vendors area to wander around before the first panel that I was attending. With such a large footprint that I would be exploring, limited time and downright horrendous navigation skills, I consciously stuck to the walls to avoid getting lost in the vast expanse of the BMO’s halls. Until then I had not realized how much temptation to spend copious amounts of money I would be contending with. Thus, I resolved to keep my wallet close until such a time where I was sure that I had an idea of everything that I could choose from. Out of sheer fear of overdraft fees and becoming more broke than I already am, I only spent $1.50 on a button before I attended several panels. I would probably describe my spending over the course of Expo as initially dipping my toe into a pool and then jumping in completely with reckless abandon (oops).
After my initial adventures finding my footing, I started on my journey through several panels, which, although they each provided 45 minutes of relative stability, were a whole other challenge in and of themselves. But that’s another story for another time.
