isographist

Anthrocon 2025: from Deep Sea Adventure to Thalassophobia

July 27, 2025

As a bit of background, I honestly wasn't planning on going to Anthrocon this year; the con itself is amazing, but after last year, I thought I'd had enough. However, the day before the convention, I was offered space in the Omni by a friend.

As soon as I was given the option, I realized all the logistical hurdles I'd need to jump through: I'll need to get home and pack and coordinate arrival and make sure I don't pass out while driving. Unfortunately, I've gotten good enough at figuring that stuff out that, by the next day, I was buckled to the seat of my car coasting through Pennsylvania.

I'd been feeling burnt out — not just at work, but in life in general. I thought going to Anthrocon might help with that: a con with no plans would surely be more relaxing than one with a jam-packed agenda. In hindsight, knowing the kind of person I am, a last-minute con ended up being way more stressful. Just because I can go to a convention doesn't mean I should.

This isn't a review of the convention itself (I thought it was ran exceedingly well), nor is it my feelings attending the con (I had a mediocre time). Instead, it's my thoughts on how effectively I was able to enjoy the convention.

What went well?

• Bringing my camera. At a friend's recommendation, I recently purchased a Sigma BF, and taking photos with it has been such a wonderful introduction to photography. Most of the photos I took were crap, but the experience of taking photos — setting up the shot, pressing the shutter button, and editing it afterwards — has been an amazing hands-on learning experience.

What could have gone better?

• Disconnecting. I went to Anthrocon to escape, but the last minute nature of it made me more anxious. I couldn't give myself a buffer day between work and the con, which meant I was mulling over work the whole con, which paradoxically meant I felt more pressure to take the con to disconnect from work.

• Sleeping in. My overall stress level being high made it hard to sleep in, which just exacerbated the issues above.

What should I start doing?

• Prioritizing the Artists Alley. Every con, I wander through the Artists Alley looking for unique items to take home. Any time something does, I remember how tightly my suitcase is packed and feel discouraged from purchasing it. I also rationalize it away by saying that I could purchase it online, but I never end up doing so.

  Artwork continues to spark my emotional connection to the fandom, and for future cons within driving distance, I want to make space for items from the Artists Alley.

• Spend more time with silent suiters. This is carried over from FWA, but it's still something I'm interested in exploring more of.