Worldcon is awesome. Always has been, always will be, fun and fails and all. But it also very tiring. More than a year after Helsinki, I am still recuperating.
Of course, it would have helped not to have been chair of SFerakon in the year leading up to Worldcon 2017. But in perfect hindsight vision, both Jukka, the Helsinki chair, and I, should have known better than to take on GUFF just then as well. It was all worth it. Especially Helsinki.
I was so jealous when I saw the tagline Putting the World into Worldcon. It echoed my very complicated feelings about the con so exactly, I was green with envy for not having thought of it myself.
It did not even occur to me then to join the Finns. That came later, with Crystal Huff and her invite to head Hospitality. It was a nerve-wracking time and a nerve-wracking job for me, as I was sure there would be no way I could ever live up to the task. Not sure I have, but I am more than sure that the Finns did, especially Saija Aro. (I wrote all the Finns a very cheesy and long Kiitos speech, but I was either too Croatian or too burnt out to send it. <3)
Helsinki was great, in so many ways, sauna not being the least of them. It was a lot of fun to take on this particular Finnish custom, which I loved some much, I still go. (And on Tuesdays, Charlotte!)
I learned a tremendous amount at Worldcon 75 about planning and con-running, and collaboration. I made friends (and who will hear from me eventually, when I catch up with both with myself and my life), I met many of the people I had always wanted to meet, and had even asked some to repeat their names (am still a bit ashamed, about that). I also managed to check in with (most) of the people I see too rarely, both past SFeraKon guests and all the awesome fans and authors I met during GUFF.
But the most important lesson was learning to pace myself, which is why is have not taken any position with Dublin yet. I still might, but for now, I am resting from active con-running. Shimmer Program notwithstanding. 😉
