A Long-Awaited Return to the Stars<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Halcy-Con 2025 was more than just a convention for me, it was something I\u2019d been holding in my heart for over a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last year, we had everything ready: tickets purchased, hotel booked, car packed. We were supposed to leave the very day the convention started. And then life stopped. My mom had a serious medical emergency, and we almost lost her. We canceled everything on the spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m so grateful to say that my mom is now doing great, but the FOMO last year was intense. Watching everyone\u2019s photos and stories roll in while we stayed home was painful. And yet, so many of you rallied around me, sending swag, trading items by mail, and reminding me I was still part of this community even from afar. That kindness meant more than I can express.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This year, it was finally our turn. Our chance to be there in person, to feel that camaraderie, and to find the closure I\u2019d been quietly craving since the Halcyon closed her doors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And honestly? It felt like one special moment after another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the first magical moments happened before I even arrived: I was insisted<\/em> into bringing my Galactic Starcruiser\u2013themed art to Halcy-Con.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Walking in and seeing my pieces on display behind the registration desk and in the CSL 22 Lounge was surreal. This wasn\u2019t just art sitting on a table, it was part of the environment, part of the experience. To see something I created woven into the fabric of a convention that means so much to me\u2026 I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll ever forget that feeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For someone who has wrestled with imposter syndrome around calling herself an \u201cartist,\u201d that simple act of being included was huge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then came the moment that truly took my breath away: I sold one of my pieces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have struggled for years with identifying as an artist. I create because I love it, but there\u2019s always been that little voice asking, \u201cIs this actually good enough? Does this matter to anyone but me?\u201d So when someone not only wanted to buy my art, but genuinely loved it, it was incredibly validating and deeply moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And then they went even further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The person who bought the piece also gave me<\/em> a gift in return, something that felt absolutely priceless on a soul level. It was so thoughtful and heartfelt that I genuinely think I cried for about an hour afterward. It wasn\u2019t just a transaction; it was a connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We followed up later, talked more, and it turned into a new friendship, complete with Starcruiser geeking, shared memories, and that instant bond you get when you\u2019ve both loved the same thing so fiercely. In return for all the kindness I also gave my new friend a special gift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another highlight of the weekend was something I didn\u2019t think I\u2019d get to experience at all: The Chef Andrew Experience<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The event had sold out, and I\u2019d made my peace with missing it. But then, like a little sprinkle of Halcyon magic, standby tickets opened up at the convention<\/strong>, and I managed to snag one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Getting to sit down and enjoy that incredible meal, in that atmosphere, with my best friend<\/em> by my side, felt like such a gift. It was one of those \u201cwe weren\u2019t supposed to be here, but somehow we are\u201d moments that the Starcruiser always seemed to specialize in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond all the big moments, some of the most meaningful memories came from something simple: just being there with my husband and my best friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I know, in many ways, this convention was more for me than for him. The Halcyon is my<\/em> emotional mothership. But watching my husband genuinely have fun, laugh, and get pulled into the joy of it all made my heart so happy. Sharing this space with the two people closest to me, in a community that means so much, felt incredibly special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It wasn\u2019t just about panels or events\u2014it was about late-night conversations, shared smiles, in-jokes, and that feeling of \u201cwe\u2019re really here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Halcy-Con this year was cathartic in ways I didn\u2019t fully anticipate. I met so many wonderful people, made new connections, and found myself surrounded by moments that stitched my heart back together a little bit at a time. Beyond the big highlights I\u2019ve already shared, there were so many smaller, but equally magical, experiences that made this convention unforgettable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some of my favorite extra moments included:<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was a time to remember and reminisce, to tell old stories and relive favorite moments aboard the Halcyon. But it was also a time to grieve, both for the friends we once sailed with who are no longer with us, and for the Lady H herself, an experience we\u2019ll never be able to repeat in quite the same way again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This year, I finally found the closure I missed last year. I got to cry, to laugh, to celebrate, to create, to connect, and to feel, very clearly, that while the ship may be gone, what she gave us is not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To everyone who helped make this year\u2019s Halcy-Con so special: thank you. You helped keep the stars shining a little brighter for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether I have an opportunity to attend again or not to all those out there\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n May The Stars Light Your Way\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tab\u2019u tey!!!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A Long-Awaited Return to the Stars Halcy-Con 2025 was more than just a convention for me, it was something I\u2019d been holding in my heart for over a year. Last year, we had everything ready: tickets purchased, hotel booked, car packed. We were supposed to leave the very day the convention started. And then life […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4426,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[203,195],"tags":[210,207,23,3,4,26,11,12,13,29,30,15,31,16,33,81,18,148],"class_list":["post-4423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hbt","category-mental-health","tag-resilience","tag-positive-affirmation","tag-self-care","tag-happiness","tag-happy","tag-sadness","tag-positive","tag-positivity","tag-motivation","tag-blessings","tag-appreciation","tag-self-love","tag-patience","tag-positive-thinking","tag-friends","tag-cozy","tag-depression","tag-happy-bunny-tales"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/happybunnytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/happybunnytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/happybunnytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happybunnytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happybunnytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4423"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/happybunnytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4423\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4428,"href":"https:\/\/happybunnytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4423\/revisions\/4428"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happybunnytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4426"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/happybunnytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happybunnytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happybunnytales.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Selling a Piece, and Gaining Something Priceless<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A Standby Miracle: The Chef Andrew Experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Time with My Husband and My Best Friend<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
All the Tiny Moments During the Con<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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