Mega-Trip Log #1: Chicago

Hey hi folks! I've recently come back from the biggest trip I've taken yet and gosh is my everything tired. I look up to folks who go globetrotting and visit innumerable places frequently, because I went to four cities in three and a half weeks and it wiped me out. But I want to travel more, so I feel this mega-trip - while a mini-trip to some - is a good first step! And it's taught me a lot about what my limits are. So let's talk about the first step: Chicago.

But first, some context: this year, PAX East and GDC were close enough together that I figured I could make a single trip out of them. I was also lucky enough to get a Train Jam ticket! And it just so happened that Emerald City Comicon was going on right between GDC and PAX. So a plan was formed. First stop, Chicago, where Train Jam begins.

I arrived a few days prior to the jam so that I could hang out with friends a bit. I have social anxiety and it's a miracle I managed to talk myself into staying as long as I did (about 5 days); it's very easy for me to feel I'm a burden to others and assume I'm overstaying my welcome, and thankfully none of that transpired. I had a wonderful time hanging out, discovering bits of Chicago, and getting some work done.

Work consisted of the merch for PAXAMANIA III (a fake wrestling thing that I'll explain more in another post), set to take place during PAX East. As the Merch Boss, I make the official poster for the event, and also accompany it with a compilation of one-page comics I post leading up to the show to catch fans up on what's been going on. Last time, I had made a 6-comic zine, and I wanted to keep that going; however, by the time I got to Chicago, I had spent so much time on the poster (which was done and printed, thank goodness) that I had one comic done and two more sketched out. I wasn't even halfway there, and my deadline was in a week and a half. I was freaking out a bit.

Thankfully, my good friend Ayla showed up a few hours after I arrived. Every single time I've met up with Ayla, we've hung out, had fun, and she's helped me through a major emotional crisis. This time it took 20 minutes for me to break down in tears of gratitude as she helped me solve my problem; I speedrun my usual Ayla visit in record time. I'd be doing 4 comics, not 6, and I could fill the missing two pages with a poster companion giving developer's commentary on the whole thing. It was something that would still make a good little book and that I could actually complete in the time I had, without burning myself out in the middle of a major trip. Ayla also made sure I didn't sell myself short.

In brief, Ayla is amazing and please support her if you aren't already; her Patreon, where she posts an amazing comic, is at https://www.patreon.com/fourarmsdemon.

So yes, work! Ayla was kind enough to let me tag along as a guest at the local coworking space she uses, and - as a fan of coworking spaces - I couldn't be happier. Nice folks, coffee, places to rest, a comfortable spot I could draw in; I managed to finish two comics, which put me at ease; I figured I'd be able to finish the fourth one during the next step of my trip, and have everything ready by the time I had to send everything to the printer.

I also got to hang out with other local Chicago friends and go on some adventures. I got to learn about The Loop, where most of the city's trains circle around downtown! I got to pick one in the wrong direction, whoops! We also got to eat wonderful food, shop for clothing (such as the elusive blue skirt, which I still have yet to find), and talk about feelings a whole lot.

After lots of work and hanging out, it was time for BitBash - a really fun evening of video games and meeting people! And also loud music!! Like, really loud music!!! I am not a habitual concert-goer and I'm glad I had my earplugs with me because goodness gracious live bands can be LOUD. The music itself was good though, and the games on display by gamedevs - local and not - were terrific. I was especially impressed by 0space, a four-player arena game using weightlessness and inertia to great effect.

There was also a game jam meetup aspect to this event, but I'll go into more detail in my next post, where I'll share what happens when you put hundreds of game developers on a train for a little over two days.

That's it for step one of the trip. Next up, Train Jam! :D