My cutie (as Fix-It Felix of Wreck-It Ralph) got to meet Super Mario Brothers' Bowser!
I have a confession to make: I miss Anime Central!
Real Life: A break from Con?!
A fellow con-goer said it best. He pretty much insinuated that real life is just one long boring break in between conventions. Hahaha. It's too drab - compared to the weekend of fun, friends, and cosplay!
For those not in the know, Anime Central is a HUGE annual Midwest Anime/Japanese Culture convention hosted in Rosemont, IL. Think - anime films, TV series like Pokemon, Naruto, Bleach, Full Metal Alchemist (I'm just naming the popular ones) as well as video games like Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, and other popular video games. Lots of artists gather at the Lobby and have their own stands to sell unique creations such as art, prints, handmade goods, bags, trinkets, etc. Think schoolgirls, cutesy cartoons, Domo, you name it! Steampunk, World of Warcraft, League of Legends, Devil May Cry, Final Fantasy, etc. I could go on. Us comic book lovers went as well and made our appearances.
One of many impromptu Marvel photoshoots. Who knew posing would be so tiring?
It's not just Chicago people that go - hell, I've met people from New York who've come just to be at the con! It's the entire Midwest.
People are almost always very friendly! There is a kind of unity & comaraderie among the sea of nerds & enthusiasts that jam-packs the streets and the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center and all adjacent hotels.
The best thing (in my opinion) about ACen? You can be a little kid, and it's okay! Everyone else is on the same boat as you!
EXAMPLE: You could have a lifelong dream of wanting to meet Superman [just an example] and YOU WILL MEET SUPERMAN! And even better? If you have a lifelong dream of BECOMING Superman, you can BECOME Superman! AND OTHER PEOPLE WILL ACKNOWLEDGE YOU AS SUPERMAN!
I know I've probably said it before, but my best friend and I have made it a sort of annual tradition to go. We book a hotel room for the whole weekend, gather roomies, and treat it like one big mini-vacation.
And to think that I'm more comic book/games/fantasy-focused, as opposed to anime-focused.. this makes me a MILLION times more excited for Wizard World (Chicago Comic-Con, which I've never been to yet) this August! AIEEE!!!
Feels Good To Be "The Bad Guy"-?!
I went as a female version of Loki (see Marvel's Thor & The Avengers, both comic book series and films). Now I've cosplayed before in the past, but never as involved as I was this weekend.
In the past, I've cosplayed but never really BUILT or MADE any part of it until this year. This was my first year really feeling the excitement of a home-made cosplay. My sister made the corset, while I made the helm, and my boyfriend & I collaborated on the scepter: he constructed, I designed and detailed.
I have to really say, I REALLY owned being Loki. Not only did I feel super proud of how the cosplay came out, but I felt AMAZING. I was so relieved and thankful - to myself - that I decided to start getting serious about working out & really honing down my personal nutrition. I started really dealing with weights last year, but wasn't really serious about anything else, and my diet was horrendous. I didn't feel too confident back then either.
Left: Blondie cosplay (Sucker Punch), 2012. Right: Loki cosplay (Marvel), 2013.
It may or may not be apparent in the comparison photos, but last year I was definitely 8-10 pounds heavier and not as healthy or strong. I liked my cosplay, however I didn't own it like I owned the Loki this year.
This year, this time around, a lot of people wanted pictures: and I mean, A LOT. While there was no official Marvel photoshoot, where ever I gathered with fellow Marvel/Avengers cosplayers, a group would gather for pictures, then it would grow like bacteria dividing. Everyone was super nice and excited to take pictures, and to be honest I felt pretty special!
I should have practiced posing though because I was NOT prepared, and I most likely looked very awkward for half of my shoots.
But here are some good ones that other people took that actually turned out amazing (in my opinion):
With my FFFL (Friend For F**king Life) as The Warden from Superjail
This Thor told me "I need a picture with my sister!"
Stuttgart Loki and Lady Loki meet!
If you guys want to see the rest of the ACen pictures my friends and I took, head on over to my Facebook - I made the album public for viewing and tagging. :-)
No Excuses Though
Amidst the cosplay, fun, friends, and lots of alcohol and bad food (ie. half of a Baker's Square banana cream pie right before bed at 2 AM) on the premises, I made it a priority to get my exercise in during the weekend. While I prepared for the whole week to be able to do this, I still made sure that I was keeping my priorities and goals for contest preparation in mind.
Friday morning? I did back and shoulders/arms:
The nerd girl in her natural (other) habitat
And Saturday morning? A fasted session of HIIT on the cross-trainer, with a 20-minute break in the upper-level pool of the Hilton, followed by a leg/glute session in the weight area!
First bathing suit picture I don't cringe over! That's gotta say something right?!
I gotta say this though - that pool, that morning spending 20-30 minutes allowing the sunlight to filter through that 10th floor skylight and onto me as I float mindlessly around - that was probably the highlight of my entire weekend. Peace, serenity, just... enjoying life. And not worrying about how ugly I must have looked. Not a bother was given.
Progress Is Progress
Even though there are plenty of days I don't feel like I'm making progress, and there are still moments where I doubt the significance of what I'm doing.. the fact that I have more bounce in my step, the fact that I'm even taking a picture of me in my new bathing suit and posting it on my very public blog, the fact that I walked all weekend with my head high and a gleaming smile on my face (except when in character, of course).. really speaks for itself.
I always used to feel down about myself. Always putting myself down because others did, and believing the negative things that were said about me. But this fitness journey isn't just about aesthetics or fitting into the prettiest things.
I'm not even at that competition body yet. I don't know how well I'll do, or how difficult it's going to be. I still don't have anywhere near the perfect proportions of a woman, nor do I think I ever will.
For me, just getting to enjoy life is what makes it all worth it. The true me can be liberated, and unhindered by bad self-esteem. Those worrisome things - while still lurking around - are no longer the forefront of my thoughts. They no longer take the wheel and dictate my emotions. I can laugh louder now. I can smile more. I can enjoy every day and look forward to new beginnings, and never have to look to others for validation or self-worth ever again.
All because I'm pushing myself everyday, meeting small goals day by day, working hard not really for an end but for the sake of working hard itself.
To be honest, while this is all new to me, I'm loving it, and that's why I'm going to keep going.
Sorry for the late post!
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