We’ve had our walk–no snakes!– and I have taken my Super Secret Vitamin. Twenty-one days from now, I will be boarding a plane at Dannelly Field to begin my somewhat unexpected journey to lovely San Diego and to Comic-Con International. I’ll leave my country and my little home town of some 8,000 souls behind to visit a city of more than one million, to attend an event that will draw more than 165, ooo people. That’s a good chunk of the population of our state’s capital city.
English: This is a photograph of the terminal of the Montgomery Regional Airport in Montgomery, Alabama. (Photo credit: Wikipedia
If all goes well, I will get settled into my room at the Otay Valley Best Western that afternoon and then grab a taxi or trolley over to the convention center before 8:30 p.m. to pick up my badge.(My badge! I’ll be official!)
Comic-Con International: San Diego 2007 (Photo credit: statelyenglishmanor)
I don’t want to have to wait in line the next morning for it. I’ll have places to go, people to see, things to do! And a case of jet lag, no doubt. I will start out at Central Daylight Time when I leave Montgomery, go to Eastern Time and gain an hour in Atlanta, and then lose three hours by the time I arrive in SD. Hmmmm–perhaps a nap will be in order? Or will I simply be too darned excited?
Will I need a nap like Lucas when I make it to SD? Or will I be too hyped to even consider such a thing?
The closest thing I can relate to this event in terms of an experience is the ten days we spent in Europe back in 1999. My husband was amazed I did as well as I did, up early every morning and on the go until bedtime. I was so exhausted I took my Ambien and passed out.
I was determined to drink in every moment and not miss a thing. After all, I might never visit London or France again. I wanted to make the most of it! However, that was 13 years and way more than 13 pounds and several conditions ago. And I had the help of Benny in keeping up with the kids in our group. The convention center is a sprawling place. Lots of walking, standing, and sitting are ahead for me.
And so I keep giving myself pep talks and rehearsing in my mind all the steps involved in getting “there and back again.” And taking walks and trying to work out carrying all the essentials with me–no checked baggage to worry about losing or having to pay a fee for. Hoping to travel light and experience traveling mercies along the way.
Will my travels be as pleasant as Margaret and John’s trip together? I will miss having my best bud with me, that’s for sure.
I’m excited to know I’ll have the chance to be a reporter again, something I did for a decade and was pretty good at. At least the people who judged the Alabama Press Association awards each year thought so. Who knows? Perhaps this could be the beginning of a new chapter in my life, just as John and Margaret’s fateful meeting at the train station marked a new beginning for them. Life can indeed take us on unexpected journeys, as Bilbo Baggins and Thorin and his company discover. You never know what’s around the corner . . .
I won’t have a shaggy pony or a big sword, but I will be armed with camera, recorder, camcorder, pen and paper when I arrive at Comic-Con.
And now I have something very important to decide. What in the heck am I gonna wear?? Lightweight, comfortable, easy to move in and still “casual professional” is what I’m thinking. With pockets. Boring compared to the costumes I’ve seen from past Comic-Cons. Hey, I am going to see and not be seen, right? And there will be SUCH A LOT to see. Like this . . .
Darth Marino of the Miami Dark-phins. Nothing like a costume that combines an American football hero with the infamous Star Wars villain. (neatorama.com)
San Diego Comic-Con International (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
