Highlights from BronyCon 2018: “Bronies Forever!” · 11:12pm Dec 9th, 2018
Previous Highlight: Magic and Nightmares
In which son_of_heaven176 gets back in touch with his roommates, sees an unexpected flag, and meets a possible pegasister.
Sunday, July 29, 2018, After BronyCon Closing Ceremonies
After I left DarkWind and Pink Flash’s hotel room, my phone ran out of juice. I had planned on calling NR to see where we were going to have dinner, but with my battery dead, I needed to get back to my hotel room ASAP.
So I walked to the hotel room and plugged in my phone. After what seemed like way too long (but was only a few moments), the phone was able to turn on again, and I called NR. He and Pinkie Guy had left the hotel not too long ago, and they and a bunch of other bronies were having dinner at the Hard Rock Café, which was located in what was formerly a warehouse. I know the building that they were talking about, since NR had pointed it out to me the Thursday night before BronyCon when he, Pinkie, and I had gone to Bubba Gump’s Shrimp for dinner. So, portable charger in hand, it was off to the Hard Rock Café.
On my way there, I spotted something interesting. At the Inner Harbor, there were three flagpoles. And in the middle flagpole, I kid you not, was a BronyCon flag!
I do not recall if I took this picture of if someone else gave it to me. The angles seem all wrong for it to be my picture.
There’s the flag, in all its glory. The Baltimore Inner Harbor belongs to the bronies! (For the weekend.)
Eventually, I made it to the Hard Rock Café. NR and Pinkie Guy were there, of course, and there were some other bronies as well, none of whom I met at BronyCon. As we were a group of about 10, we ended up waiting for quite a while to get a table. But eventually, we did get a table.
The restaurant itself was very well-decorated, and there were all sorts of music-themed pictures and posters. And our server was this African-American woman who I swear could not be much older than me. I did not catch her name, but even after all these months, I still have not forgotten her. She took the time to actually memorize all our orders (and mind you, there were about ten of us), and when she came back with our food, she took the time to talk with us.
From what I picked up, she had been working with the Hard Rock for quite a while, and she had always liked it when BronyCon came around, as the congoers have generally been good to the restaurant and their staff. One of us told her the breaking news that BronyCon 2019 would be the final BronyCon. At that, she said that she might take time off so that she could actually attend BronyCon. It was unclear whether she was a pegasister herself, but I would not be surprised if she was.
After a slight mishap (one of our group was allergic to seafood—so much so that even the smell of it from about three or four seats away triggered a reaction from him) and some more conversation, our bellies were full and it was time to leave. But before we did, one of us asked the server to take a group photo of us. And it was either after she took the photos or as she was biding us goodbye that our server cheered, “Bronies forever!”
I have yet to ask NR for a copy of the photo. I really should get it. And if I do, I’ll post it up here.
After dinner, we all headed to our respective hotels. NR, Pinkie, and I headed to the Convention Center with a few other people (remember: there are three hotels connected to the Convention Center). On the way, I noticed that there was a BronyCon 2018 banner on one of the light poles outside the Convention Center.
Baltimore: home to BronyCon since 2013
It was pretty late by the time I got to my bed—certainly past 11:00 PM—and after my usual nighttime routine, I was all too ready to pass straight into dreamland.
Monday, July 30, 2018: Time to Go Home
Monday morning passed without incident. I got everything packed up, I got some breakfast, and NR dropped me off at Baltimore Airport. Unlike on the way to Baltimore, the way back was relatively uneventful. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for DarkWind and Pink Flash, who had found themselves stuck at the Port Authority Bus Terminal overnight.
Fortunately, everyone—NR, Pinkie Guy, DarkWind, Pink Flash, and myself—eventually made it back to our homes safe and sound.
Author’s Note: And with that, the BronyCon Highlight series draws to a close. A hearty thank-you to everyone who has read these highlights, and special thanks to FanOfMostEverything, Lunacorva, and vikthepony for actually commenting here on FiMFiction, to Teric Dragon for commenting on DeviantArt, and to Aramau the Fiery Secretary for leaving a comment on Twitter. And I am glad that I at least inspired one person (vikthepony) to post their own impressions of BronyCon. I would have liked to have heard more from those who have been to BronyCon 2018 with me, but I’ll be content that my stuff has at least been viewed and that it has done some good.
I may make a post with some closing thoughts, and I will definitely be giving these blog posts a second pass, adding links so that future readers can go straight from one blog to the next, whether in publication order or in chronological order.
Until BronyCon 2019 or whenever next we meet,
Love the truth, tolerate no darkness.
--SOH176
Addendum (7/18/2019): I know that it's been a year in the making, but I made the promised editing pass through these posts. I am REALLY looking forward to BronyCon 2019.
And, as promised, the picture from the Hard Rock Cafe. Since I don't know the rest, I've covered their eyes.
Previous Highlight: Magic and Nightmares
I will never...EVER...EVER...use Greyhound again. That much is for sure.