Boston

[I had started this right after returing from Readercon 21... but am finally fleshing it out a month later... jle/8-11-10]


The trip was fun... the flight up was uninspiring, other than to find out just how convenient it is to fly out of TINY LOCAL AIRPORT as opposed to driving two hours (usually the night before the scheduled flight) to MAJOR TRAFFIC AIRPORT, even if it does involve a layover and flight change instead of a direct flight. The plan was supposed to be having MC and I meeting up with Chris in Boston. When tickets were gotten a year ago, all was fine. A month before, and Chris was scheduled to arrive about an hour before us. Flight delays on his end led to a correction of schedules, so he arrived only a few minutes before us.


Readercon was my first conference, and I think it was a good place to cut my teeth. There was a fair amount of nerves in place, so I didn't do nearly as much networking as I was hoping to going into it, but I did a little bit (including going to a "magazine" party that was looking for people interested in doing SF reviews), so it worked out well. [I've got a couple of magazines that I've downloaded, with the intention of writing some sample reviews to submit.] Other highlights include Charles Stross... yes, I have pictures, and yes I plan on uploading... but will probably add to a later recap post. Signing, Kaffeeklatch, and a reading (along with a variety of panels)... but there were other writers that I went into only with vague name recognition, that I can now say: "I've seen them!" or "I've heard them speak!" - like Barry Longyear, and Paul di Fillipo).


And Mary Robinette Kowal... I hadn't been familiar with her before the conference, but afterwards looked her up online. Turns out I had a piece she had written downloaded to the iPad, as well. Her first book was soon to be released, and on the merit of how she was on panels, I added her to my radar of writers to try and follow... (see future post about Reconstruction)

Most of the specific conference events are a blur, but the short version was that it was a good time.

Then we flew home. Chris flew home without a problem, but we ended up with about two hours of delays for our layover - mechanical delays, then weather delays - before we were able to get home - just in time for our own rush hour traffic.

While the trip itself was good, and one I wouldn't mind repeating in the future, I had the distinct feeling of anti-climax. For as long as I had been wanting to go to Boston, it fell short of the pedestal that I had it on... Maybe it's because we were outside of Boston proper for the event, or maybe I've moved on from that mental place that set up the pedestal. Maybe it's because all I really saw of Boston itself was from inside a car...