You’ve been looking forward to attending your first (or even your 50th) convention for awhile, but time seems to drag on until the day arrives and you’re with your people. Then, because you were having so much fun, it seems like the event is over as soon as it started, and suddenly you’re back in the grind of everyday life. In any case, enter the dreaded Post-Con Blues; the feeling of longing for the chaos of the con, surrounded by like-minded people. You want to go back to that amazing weekend spent with friends, but you’re back to boring real life and your very real responsibilities (adulting…0/10, do not recommend). Perhaps you wake up in the middle of the night in a panic wondering if your cosplay is ready for the next gathering, only to realize there is no gathering and now you’ve scared your dog. Maybe you’re rushing around to get to that next panel or visit the Exhibit Hall, when in reality, you’re just at Costco and now people are looking at you funny and are perhaps concerned about you.
Whether it’s your first con or your hundredth, the post con blues can hit hard. So how do you combat this feeling during that long wait until next year? Here are a few tips to help make the downtime less painful:
- Stay in Touch with Friends: Thanks to social media, it’s easier than ever to keep up with convention pals. Swap contact info with that new friend before the con ends and relive those memories and strengthen those bonds, even if you’re miles apart.
- Find Local Fandom Groups/Communities: You don’t have to wait for the next big con to meet people. Check out sites like Meetup, Discord and Reddit to find groups or communities of other people who share your interests.
- Catch Up on Anime: If you’ve seen some great cosplays at the convention, now’s the time to check out the series behind them, plus, you were probably planning to do this anyway.
- Cosplay Prep: Friends who make costumes and even some who buy their costumes tell me it’s hard for them to watch anime and not find a character (or several) they want to cosplay as, so use the downtime to plan new projects or fix existing costumes up.
- Explore New Hobbies: Anime is great, but there’s a whole other world out there to enjoy. Try new foods, take up a different hobby, attend a sporting event, a concert or go to other events that seem interesting even if they’re out of your comfort zone.
- Attend smaller anime related events: If you’re lucky enough to live in an area with smaller events happening throughout the year, check them out. They may not have the same appeal as a a big con, but they’re a great way to meet people with similar interests.
- Find other conventions to attend: It seems like there is a convention going somewhere in the US on any given weekend, and it’s definitely worth checking out a new con in a different city if you have the means to do so.
Just because the con is over doesn’t mean the fun has to end; life outside the convention halls can be just as exciting if you’re open to new experiences. With that, my three-part series on convention survival comes to a close, I hope these tips help you make the most of your con experience, from prep to post-con blues.
The Casual Otaku 