Eve FanFest from The Wife’s Perspective

Today's guest post comes to you from my wife, who attended our first Fanfest with me this year. Some people have requested a post from her perspective about the experience, which I think is a great idea. She is an amazing lady (obviously!) who was slightly reluctant when the idea was first brought up back late last year, but who is now excited to return next year!

And yes, I will be returning to a normal blogging schedule as soon as possible. So much to talk about!



From Mrs. Javix,

I would like to preface my post with a statement about Rixx and me. We are not a stereotypical married couple. There is a very large King Kong lithograph in my living room as the focal piece, I still have all of my original Star Wars toys and packaging, and up until very recently I had all of my Barbie dolls and her accessories. Rixx and I both came from marriages that weren’t exactly supportive, I argued with my ex in marriage counseling about Isaac Newton. There are no arguments about hanging space art in our home, so the idea of going to Iceland for a video game convention is not something I scoffed at.

If you do decide to attend FanFest with your other half, bring a good attitude. People are here because they love the game and the community, so you shouldn’t have a shitty attitude about it. If you have a bad attitude you will have a bad time. It is an adventure and there is a lot to do in Iceland. I do not play Eve though I hope that someday to have the time to put into playing the game. You don’t need to enjoy video games to come to FanFest though, I am a little biased because I do have an affinity for video games but I simply do not have the time to play like I once did.

My only reluctance to this trip was my own social anxiety. I spend most of my time hiding behind a computer coding or writing and trying not to talk to people because I sometimes lack the ability to not say really stupid or sarcastic things and then I worry after about having hurt people’s feelings. Rest assured if you're like me, FanFest is not a problem as there will be other people who may not be super social or able to make eye contact. And if you are the opposite of me there are plenty of people who are like you, outgoing and not socially inept. I recommend going on the Sisters of EVE tour because it is a chance to get out and see the country and be exposed to new adventures. Even though I didn’t talk to many people it was enjoyable and there were plenty of folks making new friends and chatting it up. Life is what you make it.

But if you aren’t into guided tours…

Reykjavik is a very walkable and safe city. I spent some time going to shops by myself and just wandering the flea market and some cool city streets. I gave up trying to convert currency in my head, (I’m on vacation I don’t want to do math!) so I downloaded a currency conversion app, and problem solved. If the weather is favorable there are lots of squares and benches so you can just hang out and drink coffee, read, or people watch. We did reserve a room at a hotel near Harpa which made going back and forth by myself much easier and my wandering alone less of a concern for Rixx as I have a tendency to find trouble.

Another point about the hotel is that we reserved a room in a very nice hotel, I booked early and managed to get a great rate. I mention this because if you are of a certain age and don’t want to party all night long but want to be close to the activity in the city, look for a nice room in advance, it makes the experience a lot more pleasant. You can party a little then go back to your room with ease and not feel like you are spending the week in a frat house.

I attended a few presentations with Rixx and although he was involved in two of the three I attended I thoroughly enjoyed the NASA presentation because I have a great interest in these things. I recommend attending just one of the many presentations, try to find something that is of interest to you IRL and you might be surprised and enjoy it. If not maybe you will learn why your other half loves this game so much that they wanted to travel to Iceland.

We attended some of the other Eve Events like the Charity Dinner and had a really great time. We didn’t stay for the entire event as it was the first day and had been packed full of presentations and overall excitement for finally making to Iceland despite the universe’s many attempts at thwarting our travel plans. 

My point is that there is a lot to do. You can do all or some of the Eve events or just go your own way by visiting the tourist center in town or TripAdvisor and have a fantastic trip.

I think my biggest recommendation is having a good attitude sprinkled with some flexibility. Things do not always go as planned, especially when you are traveling and meeting new people. We allowed for two non FanFest days after FanFest to enjoy Iceland and that has allowed us to keep things in perspective and not rush through everything. 

I had a great time because people seemed genuinely happy to be there. It was infectious.

So take the plunge and go, take a great attitude and comfortable water proof shoes!