By the time this post is live, I will be at Gen Con! It’s surreal because even though I’m leaving this week, it doesn’t feel like Gen Con is actually here. Gen Con is easily one of the best conventions that I have ever been to, and I know that no matter what, I will have a blast while I’m there. I wanted to share a few things that I’m looking forward to about attending Gen Con this year.

Cosplay

I will be bringing three cosplays with me. I will share pictures once Gen Con is over. The nice thing is that only one of the cosplays that I’m bringing will require a wig.

Food & Drink

Gen Con hosts a block party right outside the convention center. There are so many food trucks packed right outside. Sun King is the official brewery sponsor at Gen Con, and they will have an outdoor beer garden open throughout most of the convention. HotBox Pizza has a Gen Con pizza called “The Queen’s Hambit” that I definitely want to try.

TTRPGs! (Table-Top Roleplaying Games)

It will be a jam-packed four days of gaming. I have a few events throughout the day, but I tried really hard to keep my schedule open. Open time is great for panels, browsing the dealer’s room, and wandering around the block party. I’m planning on bringing a few of my dice sets, my dice rolling tray, and a notebook to take notes on all my sessions.

Spending Time with My Brother

My brother is coming with me again this year. I don’t get to see my brother as much as I should, so this is going to be a great way to spend time together. With Indianapolis being a 9 1/2 hour car ride, I’m sure we will run out of things to talk about.

I can’t wait to be at Gen Con this year!

Minnesota is known for its harsher winters, but our summers here are perfect. If there’s one thing that I love to do in summer, it’s going to see live music outside. TC Summer Fest is an outdoor music concert held at Target Field, where the Minnesota Twins play. On Friday, The Killers were the headliner, and on Saturday, Imagine Dragons were playing. My husband went to both concerts, while I only went to see Imagine Dragons. I don’t know every Imagine Dragons song, and I wouldn’t say I’m their biggest fan, but they put on a great show.

The fun part about TC Summer Fest was that there was live music playing all day. While many chose to show up for Imagine Dragons only, there were other acts going on throughout the day. One of our friends was looking forward to seeing Talk, whom I knew nothing about. If I had to gauge my favorite act (besides Imagine Dragons), I think it would have to be Chelsea Cutler. I knew nothing about her before her act, but I felt she was vibing with the crowd.

Imagine Dragons took the stage at 9:40 PM-ish. I completely forgot how many songs Imagine Dragons has. They played most of their well-known songs, with a few songs I had never heard of before. The crowd was energized, and looking around the stadium, people held up their phones with their flashlights on. It was cool to see a sea of white light during the set.

It’s funny, I didn’t take that many pictures throughout the concert. I know a few people nearby us would record the concert, but I tend not to do that. I would rather enjoy the concert in real-time, and I find that when I record it, I don’t actually end up re-watching it. Plus, the audio is nowhere near as good as being at the venue, so what’s the point?

I haven’t been to a concert in a while, so I was reminded of how much I enjoy being around friends and listening to good music.

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!

After being out of town for the 4th of July and attending a convention, I took a writing break. In a turn of events, I could attend CONvergence this year. For those who are new to Bizarre Brunette, CONvergence was the first convention I went to. CONvergence will always have a special place in my heart as being my first con, but it also introduced me to cosplay, conventions, and geek culture in general. I wanted to share a little recap about CONvergence, along with what it was like to be back post-COVID.

CONvergence was so fun! This year, I tabled at the Twin Cities Geek booth. I was able to connect with so many different people who came up to talk to me. I saw so many cosplayers walking by. One of the biggest things at CONvergence is ribbons which can be attached to your badge. I received so many ribbons from con-goers, I might have set a personal record.

Besides sitting at the Twin Cities Geek booth, I also went to the party rooms. Party rooms are hotel rooms that have been turned into themed rooms. The hotel rooms often serve alcoholic beverages that are in line with the party room. The drinks are free, but it’s encouraged to tip the party room as the organizers who throw the party pay for all the booze, mixers, and set-up. One party room we went to was Doctor Who-themed. There was a “Tears of the Tardis” challenge to take a really sour shot. If you completed the challenge, you could earn a ribbon for your badge. I am all for adding ribbons to my badge, so I did partake. The shot was very sour, but it was worth it for the ribbon.

CONvergence was slightly different than the other times I have attended in the past. This was the first time attending since the pandemic. It felt like nothing had changed, which is a good thing. The other difference was that most of my friends that I used to go with weren’t there this year. Some friends moved away, and other friends simply couldn’t make it. I was a little nervous about finding and meeting new people. Fortunately, I ended up meeting quite a few new people, and now I feel like I have a good group of people to meet up with and talk to next year.

Reflecting back on this past weekend, I realize how happy I am to have found a place within the convention scene. I feel at home, and like I can be myself. I’m looking forward to CONvergence next year.

Last weekend was Twin Cities Pride here in Minneapolis. If I’m in town, I always try to make a point to go to Pride for a portion of the festivities. As a cis, white woman, I intend to show my support and stand in solidarity with others. This year, I helped staff the Geek Partnership Society booth, which meant talking to various people about Twin Cities Geek, conventions, and other nerd-related topics. A running quote that we would say is “This is the nerd side of Pride”.

I didn’t end up taking that many photos of Pride since I was talking to people who came to visit the booth. It was nice seeing people being able to exist as themselves.

As a final note, I wanted to share some of my favorite non-profits & charities that help support LGBTQIA+ people. The first non-profit that I give to the most is The Trevor Project. The Trevor Project is focused on younger LGBTQIA+ folks and providing them with resources. The second non-profit is the ACLU. The ACLU is focused on all human rights, and a lot of that fight is for LGBTQIA+ rights. These are the two non-profits I will continuously donate to.

The running joke of my trip to Winnipeg was “What’s in Winnipeg?” My husband was kind of along for the ride. He has been to Canada before, specifically Toronto, but didn’t have an idea as to what could be in Winnipeg. Since Winnipeg is within driving distance of the Twin Cities, I figured it would be fun to go and check it out. As someone who has never been to Canada before, I wanted to be able to use my passport. For what it’s worth, I think Winnipeg was fun to visit, and I’d be open to going back again.

To get to Winnipeg from the Twin Cities, we had to drive to Fargo, go straight north through Grand Forks, and finally cross the border into Canada. Winnipeg is in Manitoba, which is the province directly above North Dakota. This was one of the most boring drives I have ever been on. I think I have burned my husband out from road trips. Oops. As we entered Canada, we were greeted with the Manitoba welcome sign, and I politely asked my husband to take a picture of me in front of the sign. I can now officially say that I have been to Canada.

One of the first things we did in Winnipeg was to check out The Forks. The Forks is an indoor market with several local shops and businesses. We found several coffee shops along with a breakfast cafe inside. While The Forks advertises itself as an indoor market, it’s so much bigger than that. There’s a riverfront and a small stage for live music. It was cool to walk around and see everything. Inside The Forks, there was a bookstore which made me happy. Of course, I bought a few books.

Another notable thing to do in Winnipeg is the Canadian Human Rights Museum. The Canadian Human Rights Museum is the blue building off to the left and a core staple of downtown Winnipeg. There are seven floors to the museum, including the tower that you can walk up to. This museum was gorgeous! There are glowing yellow stone ramps that lead to each section of the museum. Several sections included the Holocaust, missing Indigenous women, and a section on LGBTQIA+ rights. There were sections of the museum that were difficult to process. There was one story I read in the Holocaust section about a boxer named Johann Trollmann. He was forced to fight in a “German” style of boxing. In protest, he put flour on his skin and dyed his hair blonde. He was taken to a Concentration Camp where he was killed. Reading stories like this makes you realize how one small act of defiance can be so powerful. Several stories stuck with me, and I still think about them even weeks after visiting this museum.

In between various activities, my husband and I visited a few breweries, including Brazen Hall Kitchen & Brewery, Lake of the Woods, and Barn Hammer Brewery. Barn Hammer had live music when we were there, which was great to listen to. Lake of the Woods was right in the heart of downtown. Brazen Hall was a little more out of the way but had great food. I had a Juicy IPA that I liked.

The one other thing I wanted to mention was that we went to several board game stores and a board game cafe while we were there. Across the street from Barn Hammer Brewery was A Muse N Games. My husband commented that A Muse N Games was one of the nicest board game stores that he has ever been in. There were several shelves with board games, and all of the Dungeons & Dragons merchandise was located in the back. There were two people who came up to us asking if we were looking for anything specific. I ended up buying a new set of dice with seals in them, along with a card game. I would go back to Winnipeg solely to visit A Muse N Games again.

The board game cafe we went to was Across The Board. Across the Board was huge! There were a lot of tables and close to 100+ different games to play. There were a lot of menu options too, which I wasn’t expecting. It was the perfect place to have lunch and unwind while on vacation.

Once my husband and I drove home, I asked him what he thought about Winnipeg, and he said he had a lot of fun. I think Winnipeg is not the first choice when thinking about visiting Canada, but I do think there’s a lot worth seeing.

Last Sunday was the Gen Con Events schedule sign-up. Gen Con has hundreds of gaming and non-gaming events to choose from. To ensure that there aren’t too many players at one table, events need to be pre-registered in advance by acquiring event tickets. The Event sign-up process can be a little stressful as the sign-up opens at a particular time, and everyone is trying to acquire their tickets at once. While I thought I clicked the button fast enough, I was still the 1100th person in the queue. It took about an hour, but I was finally able to sign up for events. I wanted to share a preview of my schedule for Gen Con this year.

Before I go into this further, I wanted to share what I’m doing differently for Gen Con this year versus the first year I went. The first year I went to Gen Con, I signed up for so many things! While that seems fun, it was overwhelming. Instead, I only have two events per day, with Thursday being the day when I signed up for three. There will be plenty of time to roam around the convention, take pictures, and take breaks to eat. I’m feeling good about my event schedule.

Non-Gaming Events

While Gen Con is a gaming convention, there are events that aren’t gaming-related. On Thursday, I signed up for the “Decoding Downtown Indy Walking Tour”. Walking is one of my favorite forms of exercise, and while I have been to Indianapolis twice, I don’t know the city that well. I’m looking forward to the activity and getting to know Indianapolis more. The tour is an hour and a half, which I think will be a perfect way to start the convention.

Another event that I’m considering, but didn’t sign up for, is the 5k. On Friday morning, Gen Con hosts a 5k. One of the main reasons that’s holding me back is that I’m not a runner. I remember the feeling of being forced to run a mile in P.E. class and feeling humiliated that I couldn’t run the full mile. Running carries a lot of shame for me. If that’s the case, why am I considering the 5k? I think the 5k would feel like I’m reclaiming running and doing it because I enjoy it, not because I’m forced to. I’m still mulling this around, so I may sign up for it or I may not.

Gaming Events

I have five gaming-themed events on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. In chronological order, I will start with Thursday. I have two demos for Thursday. The first game is called Beer and Bread. Beer and Bread is a two-player game with each player trying to compete to brew the best beer and the best bread. I thought this game sounded so wholesome. Besides Beer and Bread, I am signed up for a demo of Distilled. Distilled is a one-to-five-player game about creating a distillery, upgrading it, and making craft cocktails. I’m not sure why I chose alcohol-themed board games to demo on Thursday; the theme was not intentional.

On Friday, I only signed up for one event called “The Beach Dolls Affair – Trail of Cthulhu 1st Edition.” When I first started playing role-playing games, I was introduced to Call of Cthulhu and loved it. I have no idea what I’m in for, but I’m looking forward to it.

Saturday will easily be my longest day. I am going to be in straight role-playing games from 5:00 PM – 1:00 AM. The first three hours will be “Rise of the Separatists: Darkness Rising on Naboo!” which is using the Star Wars: Force and Destiny rules. It should be no surprise that I signed up for this. I’m a Star Wars prequel fan, as I grew up with the movies when they came out. I haven’t played Force and Destiny yet, so I’m curious how this will be. After Star Wars, I signed up for “Survive – Vampire the Masquerade, 5th Edition,” which is a story built around Vampire: The Masquerade. It’s fitting because the first time I played Vampire: The Masquerade was at Gen Con, so it will feel a little nostalgic to play a five-hour session on Saturday night.

On Sunday, I’m signed up for one event, and that’s “Unlife as an Anarch – Vampire the Masquerade, 5th Edition” at 10:00 AM.

Now that the event registration has happened, it’s becoming more real that I’m going to Gen Con. I can’t wait for August!

I can’t believe we are almost halfway through 2023! This year has flown by, it seems. I find that April is the last month where I’m the least busy, as May usually starts to ramp up with activities leading into summer. May is going to be a busy month for me, and I wanted to share what I have going on throughout the month!

Free Comic Book Day – Saturday, May 6th

Free Comic Book Day is always the first Saturday in May. I tend to have a plan for which comic book stores I want to visit throughout the day. This year is a little different since I’m based in the South Metro in the Twin Cities, which means the stores that I have visited in the past, I may not visit this year. For Free Comic Book Day, I never look for anything specific. I like to show up at each store and browse their selection. Last year, I ended up purchasing almost the entire run of Poe Dameron, along with some other back issues. I’m looking forward to finding new comics to read!

Besides Free Comic Book Day, there’s a comic meet-up at Gambit Brewery in Saint Paul. One of the Facebook groups I’m a part of has meet-ups occasionally. I went to one last month, and I had a blast! I went even though I didn’t know anyone, and I ended up staying for a few hours talking to people. Saturday will be a jam-packed day.

Duluth / Up North Trip

For my husband’s birthday, he wanted to take a trip up to Duluth with friends. Duluth is two hours from the Cities, and it’s a beautiful city. It’s right on Lake Superior. It feels like a New England / Coastal town in the Midwest. I have been to Duluth several times, and my husband loves the beauty of the North Shore. Duluth is always a fun place to visit.

Winnipeg? Toronto – Trip

While I live in Minnesota, I have actually never been to Canada. It’s a funny thing to say since Minnesota borders Canada. I wanted to visit Canada this year as it felt like something to cross off my travel bucket list. I suggested Winnipeg because it’s one of the closest Canadian cities to drive to from where we are. My husband suggested Toronto as it would be a quick flight. I’m not sure which city we will decide on, but both are good quick-trip options.

If all of that wasn’t enough, I’m still doing my May the 4th Star Wars challenge. May will be a busy month, and I’m ready for it.

A few weeks ago, I drove to Chicago to visit one of my good friends while attending C2E2. Attending C2E2 is always a highlight of my year. It’s one of my favorite out-of-state conventions that I go to. I always go on Friday, so I can spend Saturday with my friend and her husband before driving home on Sunday. I wanted to share a convention/weekend recap, as this was definitely a highlight of my year.

On Friday, I woke up fairly early to work and get ready for the day. For Planet Comic Con, I cosplayed as Harley Quinn. For C2E2, I rented a cosplay. The cosplay that I picked to rent and ultimately wear was Princess Buttercup from The Princess Bride. The cosplay was straightforward: a red long dress, a brown belt, and a blonde wig. This wig was much more comfortable to wear than the Harley Quinn wig I wore a few weeks ago. The cosplay was easy to put on and was comfortable to wear all day.

Since C2E2 is located in downtown Chicago, I never drive. I always take the Blue Line to get there. It takes an hour and a half to get there, but it’s so worth it. It makes for a stress-free commute as I typically bring a book with me to read while on the train. As I walked into the convention center, I felt at ease. There’s a certain familiarity that C2E2 has for me. There’s a huge C2E2 banner that’s right at the entrance, which feels welcoming. Towards the entrance to the show floor, there’s a DJ playing songs with nerdy soundtracks mixed in. It’s so high energy, and I love it. It makes me excited to be there.

Another fun part about C2E2 is the photo opportunities. It’s a tradition for me to take a picture in front of the big C2E2 sign. I make a point to do it every year, and it’s usually the first thing I do when I get there. There are also various other signs, movie props, etc., that make for great photos. After wandering the show floor, going to a panel, and buying some comics, I was ready to head back home.

On Saturday, I had my cups of coffee to start the day. My friend and I ended up spending hours talking, which was honestly needed. I don’t get to see her that often, meaning there’s so much to catch up on. Traveling for these weekend trips can be exhausting with all the driving, so it’s nice to have some time to relax. We ended up getting dinner and having a few drinks before heading back to her house.

I’m happy to be back home after a fun weekend away. C2E2 is always a fun convention to attend, and I’m already looking forward to C2E2 in 2024.