San Diego Comic Con. For some people those four words conjure images of a magical four days jammed packed with panels, celebrities and the latest news on movies, tv shows, video games and comics all while surrounded by fellow cos-playing fans, self-proclaimed geeks and nerds. For some it’s the ultimate experience of geeky indulgence.

For others those four words bring to mind four days literally jammed packed in an overcrowded convention center. SDCC conjures images of waiting in line surrounded by sweaty, smelly middle-aged men who are clearly too invested in their fantasy worlds to be waiting in lines to panels that literally stretch for miles for a panel that will only last an hour or two.

For others (and probably the majority of typical people) SDCC is a weird congregation of even weirder people. These people cannot understand why anyone would go to San Diego in July to hang out in a convention center for 4 days.

For me, I’m not really sure what the experience at SDCC is like. I’m an above average “geek” who enjoys sci-fi, fantasy and comics (only some) and watches (er… reads on the internet?) SDCC from my little apartment in New York City. And every year I’m totally fascinated by it. Yes, the panels and booths interest me but what’s more fascinating are the people who attend, why they attend, what they wear when they attend.

So I decided I am going to go to SDCC next year. This is my journey from New York to San Diego. To The Con.

Here we go.