Otakon has come and gone for another year and is now headed for Washington D.C. Meanwhile, comic book fans on the east coast are excitedly awaiting this year’s New York Comic Con in October. Regardless of whichever type of con it is, every convention attendee goes through these five stages.

1. Preparation

Right away you purchase your badge. Then the hotel room block goes up and you reserve that too (unless your friend is in charge of booking the room, in which case you nag them to do it). You start calling and coordinating with people as you figure out who’s coming too and how you’re all going to get there. Maybe you decide on and start planning a new cosplay or two if you do that. If not, in some cases you may end up skipping straight to stage three, provided you don’t forget to do a few other basic things.

2. Procrastination

This mostly happens with cosplayers, but casual attendees can be just as guilty. The con is still a few months away, so they may neglect their cosplay projects as work, school, or family life takes over. Not a big deal at first, but a few months soon become a few weeks… next thing you know, the con is in a few days and then the pressure’s on. Even if they’re not cosplaying, congoers may wait until the night before to pack or get their car checked. Will they get it done? How about on time? Find out next time on-

3. Anticipation

Regular attendees usually reach this stage once they have their badge and hotel room, with their cosplayer friends trailing behind. But once they do finish their cosplays (assuming they’re not still working on them in the hotel room), then the excitement sets in as the con draws closer. People start thinking about the photoshoots they’re going to, the figure or plushie they’re going to be looking for in the dealer’s room or anything else that will hopefully make this the best con ever. The anticipation is carried with them through the car/train/plane ride until they finally reach the convention center.

4. Exhilaration

The con is here! You’re here, the guests are here and everyone else is here! You pick up your badge and hit the con floor. You may wander into the dealer’s room first, but once you make the rounds a few times everything becomes a blur, from the first panel to closing ceremonies. You’re so excited and you’re too busy soaking it all in to notice the time flying by while the memories are being made. Maybe you’re running from one panel to the next, which adds to the whole rush of the weekend. Chances are you’re leaving on a high.

5. Depression

But once you get home, unpack and return to your own bed Sunday night, post-con depression sets in. Sure, you have a ton of con photos to look at now, but even as you’re clicking or swiping through each one you know it doesn’t feel the same. Nothing compares to actually being there in person, in the moment. After that awesome experience it’s hard to return to reality…at least for now. Luckily this is the shortest stage – after all, there’s always the next one! Before you know it the following year’s dates are posted, and everyone returns to stage one.

Hopefully they’re not too overwhelming for the newer attendees (they’ll get used to it), but despite feeling like a whirlwind at times, these emotions are part of what make going to conventions so exciting. It’s such a thrill to escape everyday life for a weekend and geek out with fellow fans.

What convention are you going to next? Which convention stage are you in right now? Tell us in the comments!