Further Conventions - Part II

So I mentioned in a previous journal my thoughts on a recent furry convention, and all the fun therein.

Lemme continue this vanity for the future year, in ramble fashion. 

When it comes to planning future cons for the year, at least when they're not a day trip away, I go take into account the following factors:

• Must be relatively easily to access without a car.
• Good consistent reputation across the fandom, hype notwithstanding.
• Sizable attendance and as cliquish as this sounds know several furs going beyond just an invite from one.
• Must not be within less than 2 months before/after a convention I'm already locked onto.
• (Important): It must be in a city that one would otherwise travel to on its own merits and not just for a weekend at a hotel.

 While most conventions easily pass the first one, the rest kinda slowly eliminate all but a few personally (ironically my two closest, FC and BLFC, individually fail two of the above). That said, sanity and personal also limits me to three (maaaaybe hypothetically four but that's stretching it) of these in one year. I can thank Rainfurrest for kinda proving the ability of traveling long distances for these, and kinda reopening the door, albeit with reservations, but I digress.

Anywho, my upcoming convention list goes as follows.

• Biggest Little FurCon This is a given. I already have a room settled and tentative transport plans. All I need to do now is register like a good citizen. I may have something done in time by then; whatever may suit me. Also looking forward to the free attractions (swinging folf anyone?) for once, so yay only reason to go to Reno.
• Midwest Furfest (or Rainfurrest II, Medieval Boogaloo) I really wanna do MWFF, and have started some rainy day saving and casual preliminary planning. If anything, it's well timed to be a great potential Birthday con. Ideally wishful thinking (and based on previous discussion), this would involve a railtrip to Chicago (and granted a return flight a la RF), and maybe check out a bit of the city if can (perhaps see Wait Wait live). This is, of course, personally ambitious and would quite honestly (given how volatile it is as of late) depend on how my state of living midway thru this year.
  
  I kinda wanna do Rainfurrest again, albeit abbreviated (Fri-Sun), but I'm also getting a been there, done that feeling. I'd return more for visiting Seattle than seeing furries, to be quite honest given how my experience there was essentially mainly running into local furs from the Bay (that I'd otherwise see in a regular meet and/or visit personally), how I enjoyed the train trip to the con more than then con itself, and didn't quite feel as unique save for a few moments (granted, this was also of my own wrongdoing, but enough rambling). This, of course, would also depend on things post-BLFC.
• Further Confusion 2016 Duh

What I would like to check out sometime having heard plenty of good, gotten plenty of invites to, but in no responsible position to do so (but may do for 2016... wishful thinking):

• Texas Furry Fiesta I blame hyenas. I actually wasn't even planning on going to this for above reasons (it fails two; why travel to a Dallas suburb?). Let's just say I was fairly convinced after a while, plus it seems to be fairly good. Plus, maybe wishful thinking to release Elevations I there? One can dream (or set as goal) :)
• Furry Weekend Atlanta Like Texas... I guess I don't really see myself traveling to the South? I have gotten a fair amount of asks in regards to this to some extent, plus I know of a fair amount of furs going here that I otherwise won't see. It isn't that high on my list, but it's there as a consideration. 
• Oklacon or Campfire Tails Because camping.
• Anthrocon I see this as the "tourist trap of the fandom"; you go to it just for sake of going there because it's size and notability. It's like a kid going to Disney World. That said, there's no way I'd travel to Pittsburgh just for a crowded weekend of animals (and the city itself isn't worth visiting on its own), so any plan of doing AC would involve having it be the end of a trip along the east coast (Ideally Start at DC for a few days, go to Philadelphia for a few more, then finish off with AC). Until I can reasonably and responsibly do such, any chance of visiting Anthrocon will be on hold (unless I somehow become GoH, pretty please?).

All plans are tentative, and while it is fun to discuss and talk about these - and believe me, I have a wanderlust high; I love to talk about traveling and actually doing the journeys. Planning vacations is fun and all (I'd totally be a travel agent if that occupation was still relevant), but my life doesn't revolve around visiting furries (in fact, I find the life of one who talks exclusively about how many cons they plan to visit, have visited, and ranked them by how many fursuits they saw, how many parties they attended, how much beer, and how much sex they had to be quite sad; there's more than just communing with animal people at a hotel). Hell, there's much more important matters I need to discuss (which will also be for another upcoming post).

Nonetheless, hope this sates any  potential leisure and social questions, and I appreciate you reading this piece of vanity.

Until next time,

Hasta Marfle!