I will admit that it is really tough to do two conventions back to back without little to no sleep. Luckily, work has us leave at noon during the summers. It made the trip not as stressful and I packed light. I did make a few stupid mistakes during the con; forgot my cellphone and forgot my video camera. However, I also learned to just live in the moment; not to worry about texts or meeting up with people. In the past few cons, my stress and anxiety levels were at an all time high because of being on a strict schedule and meeting the expectiations of others (note: staffing a con is a different story). It was nice to just let go and take the tide as it goes.

With that said, I really enjoyed my first ConnectiCon. This is the real Nerd Prom. Hartford represent. While other reports have made the comparison to New York Comic Con, I beg to differ. New York Comic Con is a completely different animal; it's industry driven and more of a weekend to be starry eyed among your favorite comic creators and heroes. CTCon is a huge nerd party. There were guests that mattered to fandom; Team Four Star, Paul and Storm, Doug Walker, etc just to name a few. Just Doug Walker's name alone is enough to get me to take the weekend after Anime Expo to visit Hartford just to hear ancedotes of That Guy With the Glasses / Channel Awesome shenanigans.

There were many great points to CTCon. I loved the programming. I thought there were a variety of things to check out. If you are into nerd things other than anime, then this con is for you. Even if you are morbidly curious about something, check it out anyway. You never know what you might find. This was my year of "stumbling upon" panels and events. I went in with no plan, but just like Alice in Wonderland, I went in with curiosity and taking in every moment and remaining inquisitive about our geeky nature. If I hadn't had a curious mind, I wouldn't have seen the FMV contest, Burlesque 105, and Cosplay Death Match.

I enjoyed partaking in masquerade. I must thank the 5th Doctor for being an excellent water boy. If it's someone on staff who deserves kudos, it's the Doctor. Keeping your contestants hydrated is very important so that no one faints or gets dizzy spells while on stage. I loved everyone's performances and it was a pleasure sharing the stage with you all. The only downside is that Leonard Nimoy's "Bilbo Baggins" song is going to give me nightmares for a very long time. Many thanks again to the judges for the awards and to the random attendees at Vivo for the victory drinks.

The only downside I could think for CTCon is that popular 18+ panels need to be held in larger rooms. Because of Team Four Star's popularity with their 50 Shades of Grey readings, this will require more space. While everyone can watch the coverage on Youtube the next day, it's still that thrill of being there when it all unfolds.

I would reccomend CTCon for anything who is a fan of just about everything! While anime fans and Doctor Who fans seem to be around the same numbers, this con has about everything and anything nerdy. The crowd was pretty much educated 20-somethings - some have retired from anime conventions and gone onto multigenre events. People were generally mature; even the Homestuck people were mild mannered. I really did like the crowd; even if there was Internet dances on Sunday, it did not bother me. If anything, it just made me smile to know people were having fun.

Shoutouts to Jessica and my awesome hotelmates for their hospitality and snackages. Another shoutout to Jessica for helping coordinate the Disney photoshoot on Saturday. I'm happy for our turnout. I'm always happy to see other Disney cosplayers, though I enjoy being a lovely villainess. Shoutouts to our new staff writer and photographer, Ashley (Harmonycloud) for showing up on Sunday so we could have idol adventures. Thank you to CTCon staff for being amazingly friendly. I certainly had a great time.

Next stop? Boston Comic Con!

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