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garridebJen, Rachel and I went to C2E2 for the first time since… 2019? It was fun! It was also a tad bittersweet and nostalgic, because I remembered how excited I used to get -- going to panels, meeting writers and artists, taking pictures of the cosplayers -- and I didn't feel that excitement this time, but it was still a good trip.
We left Thursday morning since Rachel had a show on Thursday night. We stopped at Mitsuwa for lunch and to browse the grocery store and Kinokuniya Bookstore. There were more Moomin products there than at previous visits. Jen got me a Snufkin figure from a gashapon, and I bought some hand lotion. I was tempted by other things, but overall I'm trying to declutter, so that helps curtail most impulse shopping.
We tried a new-to-us hotel, the voco Chicago Downtown. The upsides: it had a heated indoor pool, our room was clean and quiet and our beds were comfortable. We had cleaning service each day and when we needed more towels they brought some promptly. The downsides: It took two separate elevators to get to our room, and the rooms were on the small side, though not uncomfortably so. Breakfast and parking were very expensive there, so we did both offsite.
On Friday we had breakfast at Yolk and drove to the convention. We browsed the vendors and went to a panel on the past, present, and future of comics distribution, which gave more context to the dissolution of Diamond's monopoly. We had dinner at Brown Bag Seafood Co. and I don't know if it was just that we were all really hungry, but we all raved about our meals.
Saturday was mostly spent on artist's alley, although I also browsed original comic pages and took some cosplay pictures. I was pleased to find a Moomin sticker in artist's alley, and shortly afterwards ran into a Snufkin and Little My cosplay duo. I also found cute small prints of Carol and Wanda. The prints were $5 each or 5 for $20, so I pulled Jen and Rachel over and made them pick out 3 between the two of them to get the deal. They found Cruella, She-Hulk, and Bruce Springsteen.
We had dinner at Lou Malnati's. That evening Rachel surprised me with Moomin and Snufkin keychains and a mushroom microfibre cloth.
On Sunday we had breakfast at Sinya Mediterranean. Then we checked out of the hotel and spent our last day at the con. Jen and I picked out some ghost-themed art that we both were drawn to. We left pretty early around 2. Once again we had lunch at Mitsuwa and arrived back in Madison with a full evening to unpack and unwind (and for me and Jen, to pick up our cat from my parents' house).
We left Thursday morning since Rachel had a show on Thursday night. We stopped at Mitsuwa for lunch and to browse the grocery store and Kinokuniya Bookstore. There were more Moomin products there than at previous visits. Jen got me a Snufkin figure from a gashapon, and I bought some hand lotion. I was tempted by other things, but overall I'm trying to declutter, so that helps curtail most impulse shopping.
We tried a new-to-us hotel, the voco Chicago Downtown. The upsides: it had a heated indoor pool, our room was clean and quiet and our beds were comfortable. We had cleaning service each day and when we needed more towels they brought some promptly. The downsides: It took two separate elevators to get to our room, and the rooms were on the small side, though not uncomfortably so. Breakfast and parking were very expensive there, so we did both offsite.
On Friday we had breakfast at Yolk and drove to the convention. We browsed the vendors and went to a panel on the past, present, and future of comics distribution, which gave more context to the dissolution of Diamond's monopoly. We had dinner at Brown Bag Seafood Co. and I don't know if it was just that we were all really hungry, but we all raved about our meals.
Saturday was mostly spent on artist's alley, although I also browsed original comic pages and took some cosplay pictures. I was pleased to find a Moomin sticker in artist's alley, and shortly afterwards ran into a Snufkin and Little My cosplay duo. I also found cute small prints of Carol and Wanda. The prints were $5 each or 5 for $20, so I pulled Jen and Rachel over and made them pick out 3 between the two of them to get the deal. They found Cruella, She-Hulk, and Bruce Springsteen.
We had dinner at Lou Malnati's. That evening Rachel surprised me with Moomin and Snufkin keychains and a mushroom microfibre cloth.
On Sunday we had breakfast at Sinya Mediterranean. Then we checked out of the hotel and spent our last day at the con. Jen and I picked out some ghost-themed art that we both were drawn to. We left pretty early around 2. Once again we had lunch at Mitsuwa and arrived back in Madison with a full evening to unpack and unwind (and for me and Jen, to pick up our cat from my parents' house).
