LeakyCon Day 6: These Days of Summer

I knew the final day of LeakyCon would be emotional for me, and I was right.

None of us wanted to wake up that morning, and it felt odd now that Catherine was gone. I hadn't even stirred when she left because of the severe exhaustion, and I felt bad that I hadn't said goodbye except for a quick “bye” as I drifted off to sleep the night before.

We each ran around doing ten different things while Brae checked us out and checked the luggage so we could go to the closing feast that we were already an hour into, and we all got in line for the water taxi. My “Suffering from Post-Potter Depression” shirt attracted a few sad smiles and comments as people stopped me for pictures.

After my idea for the flash mob was shot down by the LeakyCon staff, I wanted more than anything to start everyone singing “These Days of Summer” after the feast was over and start a mini flash mob that way because I couldn't get in trouble if I was leaving anyway, right? Lol! Luckily, I didn't have to because after we'd all eaten, Starkid got on stage and sang it for me while I sobbed at my table. Then, they finished with a special version of “Get Back to Hogwarts” that turned into “Get Back to LeakyCon” which made me start crying all over again.

Note the exhaustion that had completely taken over here.

We went back to our hotel to get our bags and call a cab to the airport, but in line for the water taxi to PB, we ran into one of my subscribers on youtube that had told me she was going. So, I chatted for a while, and she was pretty darn awesome. We'd also met a few of our readers during the con that were equally awesome. I mean, in what other situation can someone come up to you, tap you on the shoulder and declare that they stalk you online without it being super creepy and leading to the police being called and paranoia?

Since our roommates' flight was about fifteen minutes before ours and we were only two gates apart, we ate an early lunch with them at the airport after buying a few things in the Universal store. I, miraculously, didn't cry when we hugged them goodbye. I don't know if there were tears left by that point, honestly.

Then it was back to Cincinnati with me carrying my new hippogriff for emotional support (and because it wouldn't fit into my luggage). A little boy on the tram in Cincinnati pointed at it and said, “Look, Mommy, a parrot!” I cracked up for a while. Brae looked confused, and after they left, he looked at me and said, “He is an American, maybe he doesn't know that parrots don't have four legs.” I said that I had been hugging the hippogriff, so the back legs were hidden, but even with the poor American educational system, he should know what an eagle looks like...again, being an American or at least that parrots are, I don't know, colorful.

Overall, LeakyCon was even more amazing than Infinitus was! It makes me sad to think this was our last HP conference ever since we plan to do much more in our religious community in terms of travel and attending events over the next year or so. Given scheduling conflicts and monetary issues, we would not be able to do that and another HP con. It was an excellent farewell for that part of the fandom for us, and we walked away with some totally awesome friends!