As I was writing my recap post about CONvergence, I realized something. It’s been ten years since I started attending conventions. I second-guessed myself because ten years feels like a long time ago, but it’s true. I went to CONvergence for the first time in 2013. I initially found out about CONvergence in 2012 when my friend’s mom was planning to attend. My friend and I decided we wanted to attend the following year. The rest is history. I wanted to share a few photos, along with sharing what I hope for in the future.

I remember being mesmerized by all the people in cosplay. It was so fun to walk around and take photos with other cosplayers. I talked with so many different people at my first con, and cosplay, in some ways, acted as a way to help start a conversation without feeling the intimidation of talking to someone I didn’t know.

Besides cosplaying as Mario, I also put together a quick Lara Croft cosplay. This felt on point since the Tomb Raider game came out that year. As I was walking around CONvergence, I saw another Lara Croft cosplayer, and I was really excited. Let’s be real, this cosplayer did a much better job than I did in cosplaying Lara Croft. It was a fun memory to see someone else cosplaying the exact same character, but in a completely different way.

When I first started attending CONvergence, the Twin Cities Ghostbusters used to always make an appearance. They usually had a party room at CONvergence, along with bringing their car out in the parking lot. I haven’t seen them at CONvergence in a while, but I hope they come back soon.

It’s funny looking at old photos. My first thought is how young I look! The other thing that I think about is where my mindset was at this time of my life. I had so much to learn, whether that be about life in general or how I viewed myself. I’m grateful for all of the experiences I have had thus far and how I have grown as a person.

Looking into the future, I’m fully planning on cosplaying throughout the next ten years. I want to try colored contacts or body paint. Besides cosplay, there are a few conventions that I would like to attend, including Emerald City Comic Con, New York Comic Con, and Dragon Con. My husband and I have also begun having conversations about starting a family, and I would love to bring my kids to conventions. Here’s to ten more years of cosplay and conventions!