Another con under my belt, and this one with some firsts and some big moments.

Adel drove up Wednesday night so that we could get an early start Thursday morning. Even with a stop for lunch and gas in West Lafayette along the way we still made good time, and we cruised into Rosemont just before 3PM. Unfortunately, our room wasn't yet ready, the second time this year I've had to wait for a room upon arriving at the hotel. It wasn't too long of a wait, though, and we were settled in alongside  huskywingspan and  dh117439 by about 4:30. From there, we had dinner at the food truck out behind the Hyatt (which was kinda disappointing this year), and then braved the reg line. Maybe next year I'll try it on Friday, but I'm always so hesitant to miss things waiting in line that I'd rather just take my lumps Thursday evening. The line moved pretty quickly, but still took over an hour and a half to get through. Thursday night also included a stop at the dance featuring Koda Stormpaw and Riroh Raccoon heating things up with the busiest dancefloor I've ever seen at a con on a Thursday.

My original plan for Friday included hitting up Dealer's Den and Artists' Alley, but it was not to be. The crowds were so big that the con actually closed off the Dealer's Den multiple times; I would eventually get to browse it on Saturday, but I never did make it into Artists' Alley all weekend. Instead, I wandered the Hyatt lobby for a bit, taking photos of suiters while the lighting was still good. Later in the afternoon, following  ma200's panel on historic preservation in the fandom, I would join the suiters, as I put on my own at a con for the first time ever. After a couple hours as a fox, I'd retreat back to my room to freshen up for an evening of partying. Unfortunately, both  rumwolf and Khalifa were hosting the same evening, so I had to split my time between them, but both parties were a LOT of fun.

I was up bright and early Saturday morning so I could get ready for my panel; I hosted Finding the Fandom in the Hyatt early in the afternoon; it was so fun listening to everybody's furry origin stories. A few hours in the Dealer's den was followed by more suiting, a little partying, and then the WILD Saturday night dance, which got so full that the con was actually restricting entry. More plans were made, but I ended up falling asleep in a pile on my bed with Pongo and  huskywingspan instead.

Sunday was another earlier-than-usual morning for me; I had to get up and get suited up for the Furries in Jerseys photoshoot at 11AM, where I got to meet  sylox in person for the first time. I opted to go back to the room to hydrate rather than try to continue suiting afterwards; Saturday night had been a long night. After a lunch at the quite-delicious restaurant in the Doubletree, I would spend a few more hours taking photos before finishing out my evening with some suiting with friends, getting dinner with others, and then wandering the con space with  aldohusky before retiring to prep for the long drive back to Columbus in the morning.

I had some apprehension heading into this con. With how cramped and crowded MFF 2022 felt, I was worried it was going to be ten times worse this year, but it turned out to be fine; I'm not sure if people just naturally spread out more or if other factors were at play, but aside from some elevator hiccups and the lines for the Dealer's Den/Artists' Alley everything seemed to flow smoothly. Getting to suit at a con for the first time was ridiculously fun, and I can't wait to get back out there for the next one. Everyone else seemed to be having a good time too; I think everyone really needed a relaxed, drama-free weekend, and the con delivered on that need. I definitely rate it as one of the best cons I've ever attended.

Onward to 2024!