As this year comes to a year comes to a wrap, I was thinking that it’s been a pretty low-key year for me. Budget constraints kept me from on going to see a lot of Broadway shows and I’m just burned out on cons. But I still got to travel a lot and have some awesome experiences. Share some of you favorite pop culture experience in the comments!
Disney World.
This was my little nieces’ first trip to Disney World and I was pretty excited to go on this adventure with them. We stayed at the Art of Animation hotel with its awesome Finding Nemo themed pool. We met Anna, Elsa and just about every princess. I got to hang out with (and crush on) Star Lord, see the amazing topiaries at the Epcot botanical show, and finally see Fantasmic, which scared me!
Frozen on Broadway.
I have seen the movie Frozen about 22 million times, saw the stage production in Disneyland and the singalong at Disney World. And even after all that, I was still pretty excited to see Frozen on Broadway. We took my niece Madison for her first Broadway adventure. I really loved Patti Murin, who played Anna. Young Anna was a show stealer as well. I could have done without the Hygge number and the weird rock trolls, but overall, it was magical.
SPN Giving Back Tour.
My friend Melissa and I had such an amazing time last year at the Supernatural Con here in Jersey, but the dates this year didn’t work for us. So we decide to try out the inaugural Giving Back tour in Indianapolis. There’s a really amazing feeling being around SPN family and the intimate panels with the cast. The Giving Back tour focused on service and art, and it was very cool to earn my wings in a scavenger hunt that involved solving puzzles and collaborating with other attendees. The best part was hanging out with Kim Rhodes and Briana Buckmaster at a pajama party where we played Cards Against Humanity. And Mark Pellegrino gave me a Kit Kat because I answered a trivia question. Candy from the devil!
The Doctors and River Song.
While I’m really over the crowds at New York Comic Con, I really love the offsite panels with separate admission. Last year, I got to see Mark Hamil. This time I got to see Matt Smith, David Tenant and Alex Kingston. (The doctors and I go way back! See my home page.) What made it really fun was that they played absurd games with the audience and gave out pastries. I’m sure they’ve been asked where would they travel, who would they want to meet so many times – so this was really a blast.
Painting Fail!
My friend Marianna asked me to come along with her to a painting thing at Pinot’s Place for a Harry Potter-inspired painting thing. We got there a little late and got stuck at the end away from the instructor. I also realized half way through that my brush was really lousy. My painting looked terrible, but it was so much fun!
Book Expo/Book Con.
My friend Diana Perez got to celebrate the launch of her children’s book Landon Rides the Subway at Book Expo/Book Con this year. And in between her signings, we got to see some really cool authors and celebrities including Rick Riordan, Nick Offerman and Mullaly, and Sally Field, who wished me a happy birthday!
Video Games at Franklin Institute.
I haven’t been to the Franklin Institute in ages and I got to go while I was in Philly with Melissa and her teenager. The Game Masters exhibit was totally hands on and had pretty much every video game from Pong to Pokemon. You could play most of them, too. I got really into a weird but interestingly animated game and finally figured out it was called Broken Age, which I was able to get for my iPad.
The Greens on tour.
I love the vlogbrothers and I wouldn’t miss another chance to see them when Hank Green’s book tour launched in NYC at Town Hall. I mean, John Green dressed up in a bee suit – revenge for Hank wearing a turtle suit the year before? – and Hank sang Accio Deathly Hallows. I had a hard time getting into An Absolutely Remarkable Thing. Hank’s writing isn’t like John. Yet I found it really entertaining once I got into the groove.
Hamilton revisited.
I got to see Hamilton again, this time with my sister and up in the balcony. (I had partially obstructed 4th row seats last year.) And even with a different cast (James Monroe Iglehart as Lafayette/Jefferson) it was still pretty epic and I’m still listening to the soundtrack nonstop.
The Bad Parts last call.
My friends who make up a local band called the Bad Parts played their last show on Dec. 22. They’ve got a punk/ska vibe that’s just a lot of fun. I’ve been going to their shows for years now all over New Jersey and New York. They’ve been the main act at my local watering hole and just a great excuse to hang out with my friends. They joke that I might just know their songs better than they do. I’m going to miss those guys so much, but the drummer is moving away and so it’s time to move on. You can check out their music on Spotify, itunes and most other streaming spots.
Robin Cabana loves to nerd out about Star Wars, Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, Disney and so much more. She has a pug named Penny and lives in New Jersey. 