2013: A Year in (Belated) Review

So I meant to write this on New Year's Eve, but what can I say, Christmas break procrastination is a demon. Instead I'm sitting here in my on campus apartment room on the night before classes start up again. I wanted to make a post about how truly amazing this year has been, and I figured better late than never. So I'll mention some of he highlights of my 2013 (in the order in which they occurred, of course).

1. #CGTC2013 (the Candy Girls Take Chicago)

So before 2013 I hadn't been on vacation since the summer of 2010. And I really missed vacations. I traveled a LOT in 2013, but this was the trip that started it all, and it was honestly one of my favorite weekends of 2013. Basically, a group of friends and I went to Chicago in February. We went to the Holiday Club (the place where Team Starkid members met and hung out, made known by the Jim and The Povolos song), went to Millennium Park to see the Bean, and then went to see Airport for Birds, Starkid's first sketch comedy show. It was my first time ever seeing them perform live, and we were in the front row. Before this trip I had started to think that I would never get to see Starkid live and in person, let alone meet them after the show, so this was a HUGE deal for me. Not only did we get to see the show in the front row, but after the show I got to meet all but one of the cast, including the man who the people I was with had bonded over so much, the man who I never thought I'd actually get to meet, Jeff Blim. He was as snarky as I expected but he was SO nice to us. We talked with him for so long after the show that we ended up being the very last ones in the entire building. It was seriously a dream come true.

2. Jim and the Povolos live in NYC

So with amazing luck, I ended up being able to go to New York City for one weekend to see Jim and the Povolos live. I loved visiting that city again after almost three years, and it was so cool getting to see Jim and the Povolos and TalkFine perform live and meeting 2 friends from the Candy Girls there. I also got to meet the band afterwards, and even though the meet and greet went VERY fast, Jeff recognized me and I got a hug from him even though the security was trying to move us along. :)

3. May Term in Italy

I also got to travel abroad in Europe for the first time ever in 2013. I went with other students at my school and 2 teachers for a "musical journey through Italy" (Viaggio Musicale). We stayed in Venice, a beautiful villa on a vineyard in Tuscany, and a fancy hotel in Milan, and visited Murano, Florence, Lucca and Pisa, and Sienna. I made great friends on that trip, and it just so happened that my birthday was right in the middle of it. That's right, I turned 20 in a beautiful villa with homemade tira misou as my birthday cake and wine and champagne. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday.

4. Darren Criss Live

Yeah... I know I went a little overboard on the traveling this summer... but this was such a perfect opportunity. I got to visit my friend Felice in Dallas and stay with her for a weekend. I also got to do something that I thought would never be possible for me. I got to see Darren Criss live, in the front row. I actually got to hear him sing songs from AVPM and AVPS, as well as other covers and his new songs. It was really a perfect weekend. :)

5. Universal Studios Orlando

My dad had an offer for a hotel in Florida, so he took me with him to visit New Smyrna Beach and Orlando, Florida. Besides getting food poisoning for the first time in my life, this was a really fun vacation, because when I finally recovered from food poisoning, we went to Orlando and after years of wanting to go, I finally got to see the Harry Potter expansion of the Universal Studios Islands of Adventure park. It was just as amazing as I had hoped it would be.

6. Eat A Slice with Olan Rogers

This past summer I had the wonderful chance to meet one of my biggest inspirations, Olan Rogers, again for a second time. This was way too exciting because I honestly never thought I'd get to meet him again after the Dial Up Tour in 2012. He hosted a free pizza party meetup tour across the US just for the sake of meeting his fans. I am constantly inspired and uplifted by this guy, and it was so great meeting him again.

7. Salt Lake Comic Con

2013 also featured the first year of Salt Lake Comic Con, and my best friend and I got to be there. Thanks to a mixup turned gift from a generous and understanding amazon seller, I got to finish my fem 11th Doctor cosplay just in time for this convention. Even though the con was really crowded and not as organized as it could have been, I had fun seeing everyone's costumes and looking around. I also got to meet Nicholas Brendon (Xander from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) who was the nicest person and gave me such great hugs, and Simon Fisher-Becker, who played Dorium Maldova on Doctor Who, and he told us our costumes were "cool." ;)

8. Panic! At the Disco Live

Vacations aside, this year I finally got to see Panic! live (the first time I saw them live the lead singer couldn't be there so the show was amazing but different). Brendon was absolutely awesome and they sounded so great. Brendon even took his shirt off at the end of the show! <3 I'm seeing them again in concert in a few weeks and I can't wait.

9. Anime Banzai

This Banzai was really fun because I was with my best friend for the whole weekend and we got to see and hang out with one of our friends from high school who let us stay with her in her hotel room. But what made this year's Banzai truly the best one I have ever been to was the new friends that my best friend and I met and hung out with over that weekend. Now called my Sherlockian friends (because we all love Sherlock and they all cosplay Sherlock characters) or even "the turtle club" (it's an inside joke), these beautiful people make me so happy and I am SO glad that I met them. I have only known them for a few months, but I feel like I've been such close friends with all of them for so much longer. :) 

10: #CG123: Chicago (Yes, again...)

Well, since June I had had major traveling withdrawals, and it just so happened that I convinced my dad to help me pay for another trip to Chicago so that I could see Team Starkid's new sketch comedy show, 1Night 2Last 3Ever, or 123Ever. Not only did we get to see that show in the front row, but we also just happened to be in Chicago the night that Jim and the Povolos decided to do a free acoustic set in the lobby of Stage 773 in Chicago. So that weekend I got to meet and talk to Jeff Blim, Meredith Stepien, Nick Gage, and Brian Holden twice and talk to Lauren Lopez again. She actually remembered me from Airport for Birds way back in February and I was so happy!!! To top it all off, Nick Lang showed up to both shows, and I finally got to meet him and tell him how much I love and appreciate his writing and acting in the Starkid musicals. It was such a great weekend, and a perfect ending vacation for what had been a crazy fun year of travel.

2013 was a perfect year and I got to celebrate its ending with amazing friends. I spent most of my Christmas break hanging out with my turtle friends, from celebrating the new Sherlock episode premiere to a Sherlock-themed in character murder mystery ugly sweater secret Santa Christmas party to even just hanging out together at Starbucks. I couldn't have asked for better people to finish off the year with.

(Those were our faces right after watching the premiere of Sherlock season 3....)

Here's hoping 2014 will be just as wonderful as this year has been. :)

Perfect desktop is perfect :)

#CGTC2013 Master Post

DAY 1: Going to Chicago from SLC, Going to the Holiday Club

DAY 2, Part 1: Visiting Millennium Park

DAY 2, Part 2: Airport for Birds, Meeting Starkid and Talking to Jeff

DAY 3: Leaving Chicago to Go Home

#CGTC2013 - DAY 3:

So on February 25th, 2013 I woke up in our hotel room around 9:00, at least an hour before my alarm was supposed to go off. The first thought that entered my brain was "... Oh my god... I met Team Starkid last night. And hung out after the show with Jeff Blim." At that moment I knew there was no chance of going back to sleep. I was so full of excitement from this amazing and perfect weekend, and I really didn't want it to end.

Sadly, all good things have to come to an end eventually. In a few hours that morning I had everything packed and ready to leave Chicago... even though I myself wasn't ready to leave Chicago. Still, as Lindsay and I said goodbye to Justine (I had said goodbye to Felice the night before, after we had hung out together and marveled at how amazing that night was. And Felice, you had better come visit us in Utah sometime sooner than later. ;) ) and left for the airport, I tried, as always, to focus on the positive. Even though all I wanted was to stay in Chicago forever and keep coming back for the rest of the Airport for Birds shows and other events beyond that, I was just so extremely happy from how perfect this adventure turned out to be. The happy definitely outweighed the sad. :)

On the plane I continued to just bask in the total bliss that this weekend had brought me. It had exceeded even MY greatest expectations, and I'm so glad that it actually happened. Still, I missed Chicago already, and I missed being able to hang out with my Candy Girls in real life and not just through a computer screen (yes, most of us there were from Utah, but still). Without realizing it, I had reached the end of the #CGTC2013 playlist that I had made before leaving for Chicago. Honestly, I must have a hidden desire to torture myself emotionally, because when "To Have a Home" from AVPM came on my iPod, followed directly by "Days of Summer" from AVPS, I couldn't help shedding a few very discreet tears.

Okay, here's where I'm gonna get all mushy, so bear with me. See, I'm fortunate enough to have at least a few families outside of my actual family. One of those families was finally united face to face during those brief few days in Chicago. The Candy Girls feel like a family to me. I can safely say that they are some of my best friends, and when I was there with them, the lyrics for To Have a Home always popped into my head:

Home, I've heard the word before, but it never meant much more than just a thing I've never had. A "place," They say, "Hey, know your place!" But I've never had a place to even know, or a face that I could go to if I needed someone there... I'm laughing it's hard to hide a smile My god, it's been a while since I have had a reason to. To think it's been here all along somewhere to belong, and a reason, a something-to-believe-in I've finally found it, a place where I'm wanted... This must be how it feels to have a home I used to dream about it but never schemed or counted on fantasies or wishes- it breaks a man to see what he misses For so many nights I'd pray for a better life, a better day but I never thought that it'd come true It's finally here and I don't know what to do and I'm trying not to cry This must be how it feels to have a home I've finally made it I've hoped and I've waited and for the first time in my life,                                                                      I don't feel so alone My heart starts to heal to know this is real. This is how it must feel to have a home!

Then, when we were leaving, all I could think of was the lyrics to Days of Summer:

We've got these days of summer to, remind us of each other! The time we have to spend apart, Will keep us in each others' hearts! I'm hoping that the good old days are something I will dream about at night. Don't matter if it's sooner or later, I know that it's gonna be all right! I don't wanna see you go, But it's not forever, Not forever! Even if it was you know, That I would never let it get me down! 'Cause you're the part of me, That makes me better, Wherever I go! So I will try, Not to cry, But no one needs to say goodbye!

This weekend was a dream come true, and I will always have a special place in my heart for the good times I had and the people I shared those good times with. I love you all so much.

#CGTC2013 - DAY 2 (Part 2):

PART 1 HERE: http://keepcalmandeataslice.tumblr.com/post/44356898093/cgtc2013-day-2-part-1

Okay this is gonna be a long one, so bear with me. But it will be worth it. :)

So after going to Millennium Park, we all hung out in the hotel and got ready to go to Airport for Birds. Basically, there was a lot of group singing to Starkid, World's Worst Musical, and OTTM music, and a LOT of group fangirling that this was actually happening. A few hours later we were finally ready, so ready to go. :)

Our excitement grew as we took a cab to the UP Comedy Club, until we could barely contain our fangirling. We got there before I could even try to comprehend that this was in fact happening, that I was going to see my very first Starkid show so very soon, AND that I was actually going to meet them after the show.

As soon as we went in and secured our place in line, me, Justine, Felice and her sister went to the Starbucks on the level below. And who should we see coming up the escalator on our side as we're going down but Denise Donovan. I was so excited and surprised to see her that I couldn't get a single word out other than "Hi!", and she passed us with our warnings of "Wait for it!" knowing that she would come up to a bunch of Starkid fans in line and that they would be so excited to see her. 

After our brief encounter with Denise, we were on Starkid watch in Starbucks, but we didn't see anyone else until we were back upstairs waiting in line. After a while, some girls came up to us and asked if they could interview us for their podcast called Fangirlology. It was awesome, especially because they actually recognized us right off the bat as the Candy Girls. Then after more waiting in line, Lindsay and Justine spotted Jeff walking down the hall across from us and did a very graceful slide/collapse down the wall they were leaning on. (I, of course, couldn't see him at all... DAMN MY NEARSIGHTEDNESS!!!) Even later, while it was only Lindsay and I in line, we saw Chris Allen walk by very quickly. Lindsay texted Justine that she just missed Chris, which led to Justine dropping her phone and putting a huge crack in it... oh us. XD

Eventually we were allowed to get in the VIP line, even though we were not first in that line like we had hoped to be. Around this time we had a second encounter with Denise, where she was about to go in the elevator behind us. We mentioned Donoblim and she immediately recognized us, saying "Oh you guys are the CANDY GIRLS!". I was in shock and couldn't believe that she actually knew who we were, and given the bad untrue things that some people say about us, we weren't sure if that was a good thing or not. But I am just happy that I got to say hi at least a little bit, because Denise was the one person who I regrettably didn't get to meet after the show.

Finally, it was time to go in. We decided that Justine and I could be one party and Linday, Felice, and Felice's sister could be another. Justine and I happened to get the VERY LAST TWO seats on the front row (seriously, we could touch the stage), and the five of us sat on what would be the PERFECT side of the stage to be on. While we waited for the show to start, we bonded with other Starkid fans who were sitting around us, and we freaked out because Verse Factory (Marty Scanlon, Molly Scanlon, and Marty Dubin: the creators of World's Worst Musical) were in the audience, as well as Jim Povolo. Like I said, we literally had the perfect view for the entire show, and we nearly died when Starkid came out... they were RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. I still couldn't believe that this wasn't just one of my many wonderful Starkid dreams that I had had so many times before. But it was there. It was happening. Right in front of me.

The show was absolutely hysterical. I'm not going to give away any spoilers, so you'll just have to see for yourself, but all I can say is that I REALLY hope they make a DVD of it so I can relive this hilarious performance all over again.... and again and again and again. ;)

After the show was over, we decided to meet Scan and Dubes first because we didn't know how long they would want to stick around. Then we went off to meet the cast.

Scan was just the sweetest guy. I told him that I really loved WWM and he sounded so sincerely appreciative that I enjoyed it. He was just an overall nice guy.

Dubes was so shy and adorable, and it was so great getting to meet him.

I waited forever to meet Joe Walker, because I just HAD to meet this guy. I remember, back when I was first discovering all of the Starkid shows (AVPM, AVPS, Starship, etc.) thinking: "If I could just get a hug from Joe Walker I could die happy." Well little did I know that this dream would actually come true, and it was over and done with so much faster than I had expected, but that didn't make it any less perfect. Joe was really nice, and I adore his face in the picture I got with him. :)

Meeting Jaime Lyn Beatty was just awesome. She was so nice and she LOVED the letter I gave her (and she hadn't even opened it yet). I wore my Candy shoes to the show and planned on showing them to her, but I had completely forgotten. Turns out I didn't even need to remember. She saw them and our conversation about them went something like this:

Jaime: *gasp* Are those Candy shoes?!

Me: Yeah. I painted them myself. :)

Jaime: You MADE THOSE???

Me: Yeah *cue shyness*

Jaime: They're beautiful!

She also approved of my pink and blue sparkly nails, which is why I think they haven't chipped nearly as much as my nails usually would have by now. ;) I told her about my Candy cosplay and she asked if I had a picture of it on my phone, but sadly I didn't, so I told her I'd tweet her a picture. She was just so nice and adorable and I'm so glad I got to meet her.

So I've wanted to meet and hug Lauren Lopez since I first saw her through my computer screen as Draco Malfoy in AVPM at least a year and a half ago. Meeting her was so great, and she was so nice. :)

Daniel Strauss was so friendly and kind. I loved meeting him and getting to talk with him.

Nick Strauss was most definitely one of the, if not THE sweetest guy I met that whole night. I told him what I had been telling all of the Starkids, that I came all the way from Utah and that I never thought that I would actually be able to see a Starkid show live and that this was literally a dream come true for me, and he puts both hands on my shoulders and says something like "And now you're here!" and I just couldn't help but smile at his overall friendliness. We parted ways after he said with open arms "Embrace me." and I hugged him and it was just great. :)

Brian was so nice and it was great meeting him. :)

I loved meeting Meredith, because she loved my Starkid backpack SO much, and that in itself made me so very happy. Also, I thought it was incredibly sweet of her to stand with Pat Rourke the entire time to greet fans, because I'm sure that made him feel more included. :)

Meeting Jim Povolo was hilarious. I tried to contain my inner fangirl when I asked him to sign my backpack and he replied "Suuuuure!" in almost the exact way he says it in Super Friends. XD

Chris Allen was hilarious in person, and I'm SO glad I got to meet him after the show. When Justine, Lindsay and I wanted to get a group picture with him, he told Justine that she looked really bored during the show and they started having this little mini-argument and it was just so funny. We took a "Deuces!" group picture and then when he asked me for a theme for our picture my brain was so frazzled all I could think of was to do Deuces again, so that's what we did haha. :)

And then there was Jeff Blim. Ever since I became a true Candy Girl last summer, I desperately wanted to meet this man, but did I ever think it would actually happen? No, no I did not. Well, it did happen and it was even better than I could have imagined. All I could think when we smiled to take the picture was "OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG HIS HEAD IS LEANING ON MY HEAD AND HIS ARM IS AROUND ME DEAR GOD!!!". I don't even care that this picture is a little blurry, I love it and will always love it. I also got him to sign my CG hoodie and, of course, my backpack.

But was that it? No. Not only did I get to meet him, but me and the other CGs got to talk with him for what may have been, or at least felt like, an hour. Seriously, by the time he left we were the last people in the entire building. He opened his gifts from us, and we talked about OTTM, Cup of Jeff and Mike, and how much he honestly means to us and how we wouldn't be there if it weren't for him. He did the "old man voice" from OTTM, attempted the Sweet Tooth voice, let us record a video message for all the other CGs out there who couldn't make it to the show, and talked to our friend and fellow CG Gina. He was so flattered and shy and adorable and couldn't believe how much we admired him and everything that he was involved in, and not once did he try to leave or mention having to leave soon. And the best part? It felt like we were actually having a casual conversation with him; not fangirls obsessing over their idol, not an idol showing off for his fangirls. Just a group of friends having a conversation. I honestly love Jeff Blim, but as Lindsay said, not in a creepy, I-want-to-bear-your-children kind of way. I love and miss him like I love and miss old friends, and I really hope that I can see him again someday sooner than later, along with every person involved in the amazing adventure that was #CGTC2013.

Well, this was the biggest part of my #CGTC2013 blog, but Day 3 will come soon, I promise! :)

#CGTC2013 - DAY 2 (Part 1):

DAY 1 HERE: http://keepcalmandeataslice.tumblr.com/post/44283091586/cgtc2013-day-1

Okay, this was by far the craziest and most amazing day of the weekend, which is why I decided to split it into two parts.

The first part of the day was devoted to doing a little tourism with Justine and Lindsay: going to Millennium Park to see The Bean. Because we stayed at the Marriott Magnificent Mile hotel, we only had to walk about 15 minutes to get to the park, and man was it a beautiful walk. It was a gorgeous sunny day, and the scenery was just absolutely breathtaking as we walked through the streets. It was almost like Chicago knew we were there, and it was welcoming us with open arms.

The Bean was really cool. It was so mesmerizing, casting awesome reflections of not only us but everyone and everything around it, and the underside of it was even more trippy than the outside. We decided that a Holy Musical B@man mini-flash mob needed to be done there, so before we left we danced to both the Rogues Are We Reprise and The American Way. Such a good time. :)

After leaving the park we stopped for a delicious lunch at Noodles & Company. While we were there we checked our horoscopes and got some very interesting answers. I don't remember them exactly but people would be insanely jealous of Justine and I would go through a very rough time but make it through. (I might be completely off, just warning you.) After leaving Noodles, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for what would be the best night ever.

PART 2 COMING SOON! :)

I also met Marty Scanlon and Marty Dubin from Verse Factory (World's Worst Musical) and Jim Povolo. :) And we got EPIC group pictures with Chris and (of course) Jeff. Because I was VIP I got a signed program after the show, and I had Jeff sign my Candy Girl hoodie and Joe sign my Batman plushie. And they all signed my Starkid backpack :D

Meeting Starkid at Airport for Birds 2/24/13 :)

A4B. CGTC2013. THIS WEEKEND.

#AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

The closing few seconds of the A4B Hangout.... New advertisement for Google+? I think so...