JordanCon 2024: Final Day

 Hello Readers! JordanCon 2024 is done! I did less media work on the last day. Things close up early, and if I had stayed in the convention rooms longer, I would have spent more money, which could be problematic. However, I was able to chat with a couple of more authors on the final day. 

I talked to Hollis Jo McCollum and Elara Dunn for a while. Both gave me so much advice and encouragement about writing and publishing. In addition to their own books, they share a Podcast called the Banshee Energy Show. As I was taking pictures, Darin Kennedy snuck in and decided to get one with them since his booth was the next table over. 

After that, I briefly talked to Ellie Raine. I had wanted to check out her books because the covers were so eye-catching and pretty. She was really sweet, and her series seems interesting. I also caught one of her panels earlier in the week. 

After that, we walked around, talked to people briefly, and sat until we had another panel. The final panel we chose to participate in was the Cozy Fantasy Panel. Hollis and Elara were panelists, and the conversation was amusing. Except for when one of the other authors pointed out that the '90s were 30 years ago. I heckled them a bit and yelled out, "Rude!" Everyone laughed. The biggest thing I took out of this panel is that when I do write, Cozy Fantasy is my genre. I don't classify it when writing, but it naturally falls into this category. 

The final event was the closing ceremony, where the directors of JordanCon revealed the numbers raised for the Mayo Clinic's research on Amyloidosis. This was cool to see and a good reminder that JordanCon is a Nonprofit organization. They run entirely on volunteer power. I liked seeing the numbers raised and knowing I made a small contribution. I plan to donate some jewelry I've made to the charity auction next year. I may also apply/submit something for the anthology next year, but we'll see. That one I'm more nervous about. You can check JordanCon's website for the official numbers once they've posted them. 

I should have called the closing ceremony the final official event. Once that was over, it was time for food and giggles! Tress and I went to Lazy Dog's for dinner with many people. After dinner, it was chilling at the hotel lobby for CouchCon. Once final meetings for volunteers had ended, it was time for SHENANIGANS, aka Cards Against Humanity. It was great to have lots of laughs with good humans with inappropriate and dark senses of humor. We finally pulled ourselves away from Cards Against Humanity once Tress won and went to bed around 1:30. I also learned that I dislike drinking Rum straight. Although, I probably wouldn't like it mixed in with anything, either. 

This morning was the usual nonsense of packing, saying goodbye, and preparing to return to the real world. Boo. Hiss! I already regret not taking off tomorrow.

The rest of this post will probably contain my final takeaways/ lessons learned from the trip and event.

1.) I packed way too much food, and Tress did, too. It turns out we really didn't need to pack any food; we could have just had the hotel shuttle take us to Publix to get the few things we needed. 

2.) Atlanta is a surprisingly well-oiled machine. I expected it to be like other big cities, just chaos. Maybe I didn't experience the chaotic parts, but it was a smooth operation between the airport, Airport Shuttle, and MARTA stations. Everything was very clear in the signs, and there was always someone to help. I don't like crowds, and I don't like being in places where I need to figure out what to do. It gives me so much anxiety. But even as big as the Atlanta Airport is and with never taking the train, it was easy.

3.) Everyone in Atlanta I encountered was friendly, whether local or associated with the convention. 

4.) I bought a lot of freaking books, like 12 lbs of books. There was a constant conversation between Tress and me about whether I would be over my 50lb weight limit for my checked baggage. I came in at 51 lbs. 

5.) I doubted my purpose and whether I was truly a writer or even wanted to be. However, I connected with many amazing authors and attended some great panels that have inspired me to keep writing and try to publish - Indy publishing or the traditional route. I have so many ideas and things to research. I found a lot of kindred spirits in Author's Alley (as well as the rest of the event), but I felt like I belonged in Author's Alley. I have many things to do and plans to make, but I am EXCITED!

I've already told Tress that I'm coming back next year. I can't wait.