Where do I begin when talking about the journey to MagFest? I've mentioned it so many times already that I feel like it's quickly going out of style. That's what I would feel, anyway, if one of the lessons I'd learned on the trip weren't akin to "you only believe something is cliche'd until you try it for yourself." If I were to tell you I had an idea for a story about a meek young boy setting out from his home across a dangerous world that no one would believe he's ready for, your hippocampus would near immediately pull up something similar. It's only happened, what, a million times in literature and other medias? I myself would say that's a typical idea, and that circumstances and style were everything. If that were someone's whole plot, it might be a poor one.
That is, until you ARE that meek boy venturing outward. It was only in December that I found out about MagFest. I'd heard the term before in NintendoCapriSun's videos, since it was a tradition of his to go. He must have mentioned in an LP that it took place in Washington D.C., and thus forced me to do some research. MagFest 2012, a mere month away from that time, was taking place from January 5-8, 2012, at the Gaylord Hotel and Convention Center, in a place called National Harbor, Maryland. That meant that NintendoCapriSun, an idol of mine, and perhaps the most accessible idol I'd ever make, was going to be in MY state. There was really no bollocks about it, I wanted to go. The closes convention besides this one was PAX East, which took place in Boston, so finding out that there was a convention so close was exhilarating.
Who WOULDN'T want to meet this guy?
Unfortunately, planning fell a bit by the wayside, especially since the holidays were coming up and...well that's 'nuff said right there. It wasn't until after Christmas that I started worrying about this thing again. I really wanted someone to go with me, as anyone might, just to share memories and lighten the tone of traveling. Either way, a commute to the D.C. area was going to be a long one, and it's always nice to have someone to talk to. Being the quiet guy I am, i didn't really have too many people to ask, and of course the only people who seemed interested in accompanying me were...not in this country. My family was wary about me going alone too, since it is a long way and roads tend to be different down there, as well as driving temperments.
So of course, as something would to any procrastinator, it crept up on me. I really wanted to go on the very first day, the 5th, since it was certain that NCS was going to be in the convention area on the first day it was available. Of course, I met discouragement all around. Anyone who seemed like they might be able to go ended up not being able to, and that was a bit of a downer. I think I covered a lot of this in "The Hero's Journey," in which I was still planning to go on the 5th. Needless to say, I didn't end up going on the 5th. The 6th was my birthday, so I didn't go then, and I didn't plan to. That doesn't mean I didn't spend the day worrying about it.
The 6th was actually kind of horrendous. I kept getting false leads...and let me tell you, when you've got people buzzing around your head on your birthday poking at the things you want to do and only not agreeing to do it because they didn't think they could find something interesting for them there is one of the most annoying things in the world. This is especially true when one of the things someone gets you for your birthday involves travelling out-of-state at a later date, when all you want to do is go somewhere within. So indeed, my 20th birthday may always be remembered as the one I spent worrying about how the bloody hell I was getting where I really wanted to go.
On the morning of the 7th, despite several messages from friends with the capital letters "G" and "O" placed side by side, I was still unsure of myself. Fact of the matter was that I still hadn't studied my maps and routes enough, I didn't have supplies ready, and I didn't have anything I could give NCS like I wanted to. Nevertheless, I turned on the Gurren Lagann soundtrack and started getting ready. If I hadn't had that playing, I'm not so sure I would have went. Still, I put myself together and got about as ready as I was going to be. Part of me is still standing in the living room, deciding whether or not to go.
The theme song of evolution
To be honest, I hate driving, I really do, and if there had been a better way to get to MagFest, I would have taken it. I'm just not good at driving, even after two years of it. And of course, all the myths my parents warned me about were true: people drove a lot crazier where I was, and the roads themselves seemed really really different. The only thing I had to guide me in the right direction this time were street signs, no childhood memory about it. I clung to those street signs like a lifeline, believe me. But I kept going, of course, some bits of the Zelda CD accenting my trip perfectly and making me cheer for myself...all the way to National Harbor, a small little port city that I just kind of fumbled through. I fumbled pretty well though, and if you didn't know any better, you might have thought I kinda knew what I was doing.
This was me all the way up the road.
Of course, there was no room for a last ditch wild goose chase here, no siree. I saw the man in his red Mario hat and jacket that I'd seen in quite a few videos beforehand. Finding NCS might have been the easiest part of the whole damn trip. Anyway, since this is a lot of words, I'll go ahead and let an image speak for me here:
Needless to say, NCS is just like anyone else at the convention really, except for the fact that occasionally someone will come up and as for a picture. If you've seen his vlog videos like I have, you kind of know what to expect when meeting him. It was pretty cool, however, seeing all the same mannerisms that he does show up in real life. I sat there and watched a few games of Mario Kart, which really ramped up when Chuggaaconroy arrived (and sat right down next to me, god only knows why I didn't get him to sign the other side of that paper). Boy, did I really wish I had a 3DS so i could've not sat there like a sadsack. In all, it was kind of like watching a band perform live: everything sounded clearer and fuller, and you could easily see the people behind all the voices in those Let's Plays. That alone was kind of neat, when you could sort of laugh along with them...or in my case sit there and think of something witty to say without quoting them profusely. I mean, really, later on I met a guy who could carry on a conversation using only quotes from NCS and other famous internet people....okay, I digress, I was totally in on that conversation, but still, when you're around these people you want to think of something they haven't heard fifty times before. I kinda failed at that. Whatever though, it was my first year, and I'm still going to be on BreakingNCS. The real goal when you meet someone casual like NCS is to just hang out and have a good time with them. I'd have a lot more to say or show if I'd gotten the chance to properly game with the man. Next year man, next year.
Still, I had to do more than that at the convention, so I did, and I really wished I had another person with me. Basically, you've got rooms with panels on certain topics concerning video games, music halls, movie halls, and a bigass place with a bunch of stuff in it, which is what I found most interesting. On one side, you had a plethora of vendors selling everything from t-shirts to stuffed animals to games themselves. It's probably similar to any convention, except the focus was more on games than say, anime. I went ahead and picked up two awesome pins as mementos, since I wanted something, but didn't want to spend a whole lot of money.
Team Gurren for Life, bitchez.
Next to that , there's a really impressive room filled with all types of game systems, half of which were arcade cabinets. From PacMan to Soul Calibur to 4 types of DDR, you could encounter hours of nostalgia. In the same room there were dozens of TVs with newer systems hooked up, and I'm pretty sure every generation of video game was represented. That's why you come with a friend, see, so you can sit down and randomly challenge them to a game. The TVs were donated too, since they ranged from old wood-paneled tube jobs to flat screens and projectors. All of this reminded me to take some Germ-X next time too. Still, that many games in one room was something that was just really impressive for any gamer.
After that I just went and hung out with NCS and the Mario Kart Lounge again until I left. Then I drove, and drove....and drove some more on my way home. There was one really awesome moment where me looking behind me while merging onto a highway called the Baltimore/Washington Parkway while the sun was going down synced up with this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=I7Y93fFQGSA#t=191s
Aand then I got lost on my way home...you know, after I'd already gotten back into Baltimore. That was embarassing and actually kind of frightening since I managed to end up in the city, and then in a tunnel, and finally almost got myself hit JUST before I knew exactly where I was again. See, that's the part of the trip we'll always TALK about, but never elaborate on, especially since I made it back in one piece.
Like I said yesterday, this trip to MagFest felt like something more, and I'll leave it at that really. It was fun, and I most definitely plan to make a trip out of it every year, albeit with a full party next time and perhaps a better way to travel. Of course, I could always just take out a damn hotel room and only have to drive there and back once. Any way it happens though, i will definitely be planning it all out much better next year and have people with me to share in the fun. For MagFest and I, I can say with certainty that this year was only the beginning. As for conventions and destinations reaching even farther...well, we'll see. Though I may not harbor as fond memories of this quest as I do for the Pikmin 2 one, I'm still glad I could at least come back and repay those who believed in me with the story of my success.
A song that screams "Adventure!"
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