Long Weekend 2015 - Day 4

Hey everyone. In comparison to the rest of Long Weekend, today was pretty uneventful. Michelle and I slept in, checked out of the hotel, and then stopped by the Mall of America before getting her to the airport. Throughout the whole day, Michelle and I have both been feeling the "post-con slump" since the past two days have been so much fun and had so much going on. It was such high energy that when I woke up and realized the con was over, I wasn't sure what to do with the day.

Instead of talking about today more, I wanted to put a little more time into reflecting on NerdCon: Stories. The vloggers behind NerdCon and so many other good things in the world will make "Thoughts from Places" videos where they reflect on their travels and larger themes. I took a stab at this style when I went down to Missouri back in August, and I'd like to have another go.


Thoughts from Places: NerdCon: Stories 2015

On Friday and Saturday, I woke up in a hotel room at 6am to get ready for the nerdy convention focusing on stories fittingly named NerdCon: Stories. After the obligatory hotel breakfast and teeth brushing each day, Michelle and I drove the ten minutes from the hotel to the Minneapolis Convention Center, which was surprisingly convenient both times. On Saturday, I realized too late that I had been inadvertently impersonating a bus in order to get to a specific parking garage. Oops.

Alright, the convention. As previously mentioned, the convention was focused on the art of storytelling with the most prominent theme being why stories matter. There were over forty featured guests that included authors, performers, and YouTube stars, and a handful of them gave their perspective on why stories matter. This ranged from a humorous abridged history lesson spanning the entirety of storytelling in humanity to deeply touching moments about stories being windows out of the prison of your own body and into the eyes of another.

Between the numerous panels about aspects of storytelling, mainstage performances including games like "What's in my mouth?", and guest signings, it was perhaps the most fun I've had in years. Every attendant and guest came to the conference with such unabashed enthusiasm that I enjoyed watching events that I didn't know a lot about, such as the Harry Potter Alliance's tenth year birthday party. I've also added a few authors and artists to my list of nerd culture to learn about and subscribe to.

The biggest takeaway from NerdCon: Stories is that everyone has a story and their story is important. We need to recognize that not only can the stories of others connect with us at some deep level, but also that our stories can do the same for others. Even if we think our story is impossibly unique, we will find connection. As Mara Wilson, one of the featured guests, stated, "the more specific you get, the more universal your story becomes". Of course, no one will connect with our story if we never tell it, so we must also be willing to approach the world with openness and sincerity.


Another takeaway from the convention is that no matter if you attended NerdCon or if you performed on the mainstage, you are human with joys, ambitions, and fears. Some featured guests openly shared their worries and flaws as part of a presentation or show, but I witnessed so many little moments throughout the two days. This included seeing featured guests chatting with attendants as they rode the escalator together or the genuine smiles I received after thanking featured guests for all of their amazing work. Chalk it up to the convention's Code of Conduct, the relationship between these creators and their audiences, or something else, but there were times where the biggest difference between a featured guest and an attendant was the colored ribbon on each one's nametag.

As I write this, I find myself already missing the convention and hoping it will return to Minneapolis next year. It was truly an inspiring experience and even though I've said this before, I want to say thank you to each and every featured guest, manager, & volunteer that made NerdCon: Stories possible.

With that said, we are made of stories and I'm looking forward to being an avid reader of humanity.


Alright, I posted that to Facebook as well so hopefully more people can see it and give some feedback. It's weird to think tomorrow is Monday, so I need to get some rest in order to be fully prepared. Tomorrow will also be Native American Day, National Online Banking Day, and National Kick Butt Day.

DFTBA.