Over the break, my mind was vegging, to say the least. And it surprisingly left me with little that I WANT to talk about. Have I lost my inspiration? Maybe. Why, you ask? Well, I was having a good time relaxing, paying little attention to college-related stuff and just having fun.
First, I was up in Boston for three days, spending time at a convention with some friends and a few people I came to know through social networking sites and the convention forums. This convention was essentially a celebration of gaming and geekery. Wil Wheaton, a geek actor and blogger of nerdom fame, delivered the keynote, which I wasn’t able to see, but I heard was quite good. Video game companies had demos and booths spread out across the expo hall, but I didn’t try too many of them, as I don’t have an Xbox or Playstation 3.
Cosplayers dressed in a slew of video game-related outfits, myself included; though my outfit was more geek-related than game-related, that didn’t matter because people still recognized who I was. While there, I happened to spy a few attendees as Bayonetta and a handful of “Team Fortress 2” and “Left 4 Dead” characters. During this three-day event, I felt at home, and feeling at home is such a fantastic feeling.
Secondly, I spent the better part of two days walking around New York City for an internship interview and a pillow fight. The interview was toward the end of the break and the office was located in the Flatiron area, which I haven’t really explored. After I finished the interview and perused the offices, I made a few stops for some food- truck treats, specifically cupcakes and waffles, which helped brighten my day even more.
The pillow fight was kind of like an Improv Everywhere event, but it was organized by another group and in a cordoned-off area in Union Square Park. And there was a bit of a police presence. The event seemed to be less of a spontaneous thing and more of a planned event, which took away from the overall experience a bit. But seriously, what’s the worst a pillow can do?
Thirdly, I also managed to stop by the local library two or three times after finally discovering where my library card had walked off to at the end of last August. While there, I stocked up on a decent amount of CDs and graphic novels, as well as some viewing entertainment, some of which had been waiting for me for a few days. These included items that have been of interest to me since starting my college career, including a “Torchwood” DVD, Neil Gaiman graphic novels and some Decemberists CDs.
And what do I have to say about it all? It was fantastic. I didn’t need to go away to some place warm and get as red as a lobster and as smashed as the remnants of the Berlin Wall to have a good time. All I needed was the company of friends, which shows that you don’t always need alcohol to have a good time. And that’s what spring break is all about, right? Having fun and not worrying about your classes and assignments. It’s a great feeling.