I've been trying to figure out what to write about the week-long trip I got back from two nights ago. It was my first time in the UK (& second time across the Atlantic Ocean). Overall though, it was a fun time

My departure date was Wednesday; due to some laundry needs and building maintenance work, I got up early (3:30am EST) to get some laundry done before the water cutoff & finished off my packing. With my flight later that afternoon, I spend the rest of the morning relaxing, grabbed a poutine for lunch, and got a lift to the airport.

Check-in was incredibly smooth, as there was no lineup for the bag drop or security, so I wound up at my gate with hours to spare. It was a bit crowded due to the previous flight getting held back, so I opted to walk around the terminal building from one end to the other and back. With YYZ terminal 3's setup, each lap took about an hour. Eventually the previous flight left and I was able to board my flight to Scotiacon

The first leg of my flight was a transatlantic trip to Dublin on an Airbus A321neo, departing 5:40pm EST from YYZ & scheduled to land at DUB the next morning, 5:15am GMT. It left 20 minutes late, but arrived on time.

If I had one complaint about the flight, it was far too warm in the cabin and I was unable to sleep at all. Given how early I woke up, that sucked.

After passing through customs, I made my way to the next flight, a short hop to GLA scheduled for 6:40am. The gate led out to a bus that took us to the tiny plane, and I watched as my fursuit was the first item to get loaded on.

Due to a queue on the taxiways, the flight landed in Glasgow at 8:00am (20 minutes late). After riding another bus to arrivals, I was able to pick up my luggage and exit the airport. 7 pounds later, I was on a double-decker bus heading downtown. In rush hour traffic.

Arriving at my downtown stop I ran into another fur, and we got on the train to the SECC.

The train ride was uneventful and we arrived at the hotel around 10, way too early to check in. We chatted with a few other furs before I finally went across the bridge to my hotel to drop off my luggage, then went for a walk.

Downtown was kinda nice to walk around, and the weather was drier than when I landed. We grabbed a late lunch and I walked back along the river to check into my hotel. I don't recall much after that; I returned to the main hotel a bit that afternoon before I got tired, and returned to the Premier Inn to pass out in my bed around 7:00pm.

I woke up the next morning at 6:30am, showered and grabbed breakfast downstairs before walking back to the Crowne Plaza.

A bit before 9, I made my way into the registration queue to pick up my badge, and at 11 I returned to my hotel and got into fursuit.

With fursuits not allowed in the main hotel until noon, I hung out outside the main doors for that first hour.

I queued up for opening ceremonies in fursuit, and left for the outdoors once it was done, where I largely stayed for a few more hours handing out with other fursuiters in the cooler weather. Around 4pm, I joined up with two handlers and 2 other fursuiters, and we started walking back downtown. The walk lasted until sunset before we returned, and I kept going until 7pm before getting out of suit and showering. I met up with a friend, and we grabbed supper while watching that Puss In Boots sequel together, and then I got back in suit and returned to the convention for the Friday dances.

With how warm the hotel was, I soon returned outside, and eventually returned to my hotel around midnight.

I had a lighter breakfast on Saturday, and spent a few more hours fursuiting before the sponsor lunch, and decided to enjoy the convention out of fursuit that afternoon. That evening, I went to a live concert/dance, but a few minutes later I realized what I forgot...

I quickly left to get into my fursuit, and returned with 20 minutes to spare in the concert, so at least I got to enjoy some of it my fursuit before we emptied out. After some more fursuiting around the con space & outside, I returned to my hotel for the night.

Sunday morning, I got breakfast at the main hotel (apparently it was included with registration all along) and got in fursuit for the fursuit games, making sure to wear my fursuit paws instead of shoes so I wouldn't feel like I was cheating. I fursuited most of the day, getting supper in the hotel, switching outfits that evening for Casino Night, where I lasted right up to the final games of Blackjack before heading outside to cool off.

By this point, a drizzle had started, so I stayed mostly under cover, dancing to the music that someone else brought outside, but eventually I had to return to my hotel.

Turns out the sidewalks are slippery when wet.

With the previous night's weather, I left my fursuit paws to dry out and grabbed a second main hotel breakfast before suiting up one more day. I made it to closing ceremonies that afternoon, then showered and put the rest of my suit away before the dead dog party.

Yeah, I spent more time in fursuit than out of fursuit over the duration of the con, but with a morning flight I had to leave the dead dog dance early. I gave my final hugs, went to bed, and packed up before meeting up with a friend early the next morning.

The flights home were a lot more comfy, and I was able to catch up on missing hours of sleep before landing back in Toronto right before rush hour. Customs was slow and my luggage beat me to the carousel, but I got a lift home and arrived in time for supper.

Was it a good trip? I think so. The schedule was pretty light so I had to make my own fun for most of it & the weather was mostly cooperative.

Will I return to Scotiacon? Maybe in a future year.