I cheated a little, it is actually a week tomorrow that my wife and I board our flight from Washington and head off to Iceland. Like most headlines this one is also a tad misleading. Even at Eveoganda we try to adhere to journalistic standards.
Everyone looks at you a bit askance when you tell them you are going to Iceland this time of year. I can't blame them, it is a bit odd to say the least. I recently discovered that a long-time friend of mine and his family recently stopped in Iceland for almost a week back in February, so I don't feel so weird about it. They had a great time and they didn't have a Fanfest to attend.
I remember watching a film in school when I was very young about a new island being formed off the coast of Iceland, the black and white footage of the volcano was extremely powerful for a young mind like mine. And I've been fascinated with the island ever since then. When I first saw Eve and learned that the company that made it was located there, my first thought was to name my character after the Capital. And so Rixx Javix (Reykjavik) was born. So yeah, my mental ties to the island run rather deep for a person that has never set foot there... yet.
It is a bit unreal at this point.
I am most excited to meet people. I already consider huge swaths of the Eve Community to be my friends, but to actually meet them in person will be awesome. Which only highlights the tinge of sadness about those that will not be there. But that is the way it goes, I've been in those self-same shoes myself for the past eight years. I was so close so many times, I really wanted to be there for the tenth year celebration - but that was not a good time for me. (Which is such an understatement.)
I will now try to dispel some myths and rumors regarding my trip that have been brought up the past few weeks. I will not be wearing any hats. Believe it or not I don't wear hats in real life. I know this sounds weird, but it happens to be true. And while I have considered wearing a Mittani Wizard hat, or a Pirate hat, or some other contraption, I felt it best to plow ahead with my usual non-hat head. For you haters out there, rest assured that my non-hat status has a lot to do with the fact that my head is HUGE. That should make you feel better.
Also, if you are attending, please feel free to bother me. You know that feeling you get when you see someone you know and you think, "They seem busy right now, I shouldn't bother them." Don't do that. I want to meet you. Goodness knows what things are going to be like at Fanfest, but please feel free to bother me. I really am a super nice person and I'm going to Fanfest to meet people. So come on up, introduce yourself and let's chat. Who knows when we will have another chance.
I honestly have no idea what to expect. This being my first Fanfest makes it difficult to form any opinions about what might happen. So I'm going in with a totally open-mind to have fun, meet as many people as possible, and enjoy some free time with my wife in a foreign country. The rest will take care of itself.
I also have some cool things to do while I'm there. Some of which is super sekrit. So that adds a nice blend of awesome to the entire venture.
I hope to see you there.