Home! Well, to the inlaws. And waiting on laundry, so I can take a shower and then not smell like smoke. Renovation was fun and all, but let’s not ever have a Worldcon in smokey casino again, okay?

There were a few bad moments (more on that later!) but overall I had a wonderful time. I got to hang out with tons of old friends and meet new ones,  show my husband the glory of fandom, and attend a Hugo ceremony that didn’t bore me out of my gourd ;). Actually, knowing people who were nominated this year made it special. It was nice to have a stake in who won, even if one of my friends was robbed. (I’m kidding! Mostly! :P)

And on the way home I got to eat lunch with the lovely Laurie of Dangerous Romance and hang out for a bit :D.

This was my first year getting to go into the SFWA suite proper. Every year prior to this, I’ve had to scam my way in to getting one of those damn gold stars. (I skipped a few Worldcons, if star-scrounging dates me.) Luckily I always had friends who ‘guested’ me in back in the day (mostly Paul Melko! Thank you Paul! :D). I know it’s supposed to be all Old Guard special, but if the new guard can’t get in to see what they’re missing out on, why on earth would they want to join up? Plus, I do not pay my membership fees to get the SFWA magazine, or to vote on the Nebulas. It’s for the free sodas at conventions. (Please read that with slight sarcasm.) So this Worldcon I tried to do things right, and share some of the guest-love. I can guarantee that some of the people I got in will be pros soon enough :D.

While I’m reminiscing like someone much older than my actual self, let me tell you how we used to have to find parties in the olden days. Way back in 2002, me and my friend Scott, when we didn’t really know anyone else at the convention, would just take the elevator up to the top floor of the convention party hotel and walk down the stairs, floor by floor, and listen at each floor for parties that we could crash. It totally worked. (It’ll work for you too, if you don’t know anyone, and there’s not locks on the stair doors. Check this first.) Fast forward to 2011, and now people are texting me to ask where the parties are…it’s a nice change :D.

Those things, combined with the fact that ZOMG i have a book coming out next year, well, for the first time I drove home from a convention without being pathetically, neurotically nervous that I made a Huge Mistake that would Bar Me From This For Life. (Like seriously. Last WFC I spent half an airplane ride beating myself up about asking an editor for a bottle of water at a party they were freaking hosting. It was a long flight.) I finally feel sort of…in? Or at least, not stupid? I was out of commission for one party night (which I’ll post about later) so maybe it was that I didn’t feel overwhelmed or overexposed. (Or maybe the therapy’s working, heh!)  Anyhow. This feeling is way way nice. I think I’ll keep it.