After the move of my life – 289 pounds of my own stuff, 3 checked bags, one cat, and way too much alcohol at an airport, I have managed to reinstate myself in my home state of Oregon! I got things off with a bang pretty quickly by dropping in for my 11th consecutive year with Sakura-Con. Honestly, I can’t believe I have been rooted for so long with a convention, but every year keeps getting better and better. See my con review blogged here! (TBW).
Now that I am back on the west coast, I have a whole new bunch of conventions that I can travel to with ease and cheaper travel costs. My friends didn’t hesitate to tell me that I can now attend the grand daddy of them all – Anime Expo in LA! I’ve always heard of AX but never considered going, but this year, it’s on! I’m gathering up my favorite anime cosplays – Sailor Neptune and Magumi – and we are going to go run and play in the sun! For the first time ever, I am also going to be designing and making my own Pokemon gijinka! Gah! I’m so excited!
I ALWAYS caught a Mareep when I played Pokemon Gold and that was my electric Pokemon all the way until I got my Ampharos. Picking a Pokemon to gijinka was the hard part at first, but now that I know, I had to pick a fashion style and really, the options are endless! I went ahead and stuck with something familiar and I’m going to do it in Lolita style with a bustle back, and I’ve decided to also add a black waistband that wraps around and ties into a bow in the back. I have some other really cute accessories planned and can’t wait to buy my fabric so I can find the coolest yellow shoes EVER. I’ve never done a gijinka, but I feel really good about this one! It’s probably my new cosplay gateway drug and I bet I’ll want to do another one later!
After lots more discussion and convention planning, I have figured out my con schedule until probably the winter. I never imagined I would get booked up so quickly, or have so many things that I wanted to do! Here’s what I’ve got going on, and this is just the conventions I’ve got planned!
Anime Expo – Fourth of July weekend, Los Angeles, California
Anime Revolution – August 14-16, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Kumori Con – September 4-7, Vancouver, Washington
Rose City Comic Con – September 19 & 20, Portland, OR
I have so many other events crammed in there that my work is going to super hate me for the all the time I plan on taking off work. I figure taking a few days off every other month isn’t too much to ask, so we’ll just have to see. I’ve already got things arranged for Anime Expo, including my cosplay line-up. We’re goin’ full anime for the first time in a long time! Gee…cosplay…what on earth am I going to do for Anime Revo?! Guess we’ll have to pull something from the ‘To Do’ list.
Life is gradually getting easier as I am back home. I have so many people to spend time with now. All my favorite hang-out spots are right where I left them, and traveling around this city is so easy, both by bike and by public transportation. I am in the height of the weather season here. The days are getting longer, it’s warmer and there’s more sun in my life than I feel like I’ve had in a long time. Even though there was technically sun in NYC, it never really feels this clean and pure because there’s garbage on the ground everywhere. In Portland, I am surrounded by green. I’m heading into the summer months, and in addition to conventions, I have so many events planned and still so many things in addition that I should be doing. Also, BAWLS is fully back in my reach. I CAN DRINK IT EVERYDAY. It’s going to be a great year.
I think I have said this at least once everyday in the past month and a half…but it is so good to be home.
-KLR
Red Leaf Cosplay 