Another con in the books for me. Megaplex 2026 was amazing. Yes, there were some drawbacks (main pool), but ultimately I had a blast all because of my chosen family. I’m talking about the friends who are so special to me that I cannot imagine life without them now: Morningstar/Max, his fiancé, Reaper, and of course my Kuda Derg. They have made so many memories with me at different cons and other events that I really consider them my family now.
I know throughout life, we make and lose friends. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed I’ve really started to focus on the small group of friends around me that I know aren’t going anywhere. Don’t get me wrong, I still love meeting new furs and pups at cons and events, but there will always be the special group of people around me who really know who I am and what makes me tick. The ones who will drop everything for me if anything were to happen to me, mentally or physically.
Megaplex is definitely still one of my favorite cons, and I will always aim for it every year. I helped The Bark Side in the 18+ dealer’s den (hopefully some of you saw me), enjoyed the pool once, went to a few parties, and met some new pups and furs. So overall, it was a great time — something I definitely needed. There were somber moments for me (I’m not really going to get into it; listen to the podcast! I’m sure I’ll talk about it eventually), but there were tear-jerking moments of laughter as well. In fact, most of the con was that for me.
I know that the friends — no, best friends — I have around me now will always be there for me, and it makes aging much, much less scary. You may lose some friends to distance or other things, but always remember those who will do anything for you through the good and bad days. Those are the friends that truly matter in life.
