Afterwards

[raino]

The con is over and I'm trying to adjust back to normal world. For example by pulling an all-nighter to finish a paying job which had been run over by con-arranging... and now I'm tired and have a sore throat and should clean up the house since it's all messy because of con stuff and my work stuff and it would be nice to surprise husband with a neat house after him being practically a single dad for the past month.

I screwed up some things but on the whole I'm pretty surprised how well I managed to organise my particular section of that event. I guess I would not have volunteered if I had figured out just *how* much work it would be or at least tried harder to split the workload to more people. Anyway, I'm not dissatisfied. For whatever reason, acute stress experienced with co-volunteers at a con is an enjoyable experience, I guess much the same as extreme sports. Running around organising things, giving orders to gophers, gulping down a quick coffee at the volunteer lounge and all the time feeling surrounded by my own sort of people... Real life feels boring and empty in contrast.

But I could not do this more often, I just look in amazement at people who organise cons year-round. Just how do they have the energy????

Comments

[cordjostler]

Congrats on making the event happen! It's no easy task.

I guess "event drop" is a real thing, regardless of what kind of event it is.

[raino]

Thanks! Though I made it sound like the whole thing was my doing, I organized just a tiny slice of a huge event (Worldcon, to be exact). And definitely an event drop, I guess it's brain withdrawal symptoms from adrenalin and other chemicals?

[jesse_the_k]

Whoa -- are you talking WorldCon drop? I can only imagine that's 100 times worse than local-con drop.

[raino]

Yeah, I guess there is no point in being vague :D so Worldcon it was, and it was my first Worldcon too, and everything else is going to feel small in comparison. Siiigh...

[rueckenfigur]

From the timing of your post I suspect you are talking about Worldcon, right? If so, wow, that's a massive and super complex event to be involved in running!!! (I've only been to one worldcon as an attendee (Loncon) and was overwhelmed by the sheer masses of people). Hope the con blues isn't too bad!

[raino]

Yes, it was Worldcon, the first time for me to even visit such a big con and first time to take such an active part in organising. It was h-u-g-e, really, though I had not much time to participate in program. But once I went looking for a toilet and opened some door and behind it was not toilet but a small back room to an auditorium, and G R R Martin was there just in front of me :D

[rueckenfigur]

OMG surprise GRR Martin! Is he as cool as everyone says he is?! And also, wow, first big convention and you already helped organize it! Which part of it were you involved in?

[raino]

I'm afraid I can't judge his awesomeness accurately since our contact was extremely limited :D but the impression I got was quite positive anyway.
Also, I stood in a buffet line in front of a chinese guy, and was just about to ask "so what have you been up to at worldcon" as small talk, when a group of chinese fans surrounded him and very respectfully went into a formation around him and had someone take a photo, and only then I noticed the name on his badge: Liu Cixin. I was one hearbeat away from asking Liu Cixin what was he doing at Worldcon!! Aaargh!

[rueckenfigur]

Also, yes, the "conblues" is definitely enough of a thing to have its own name, and I always get it, no matter if I helped run the event or only attended ... so many friends you are leaving behind now etc ... .

[raino]

Yeah, there was such a sense of community and connection, I really miss it.