An Atenveldter at Pennsic: Getting Ready

The last (and only time) I attended Pennsic was in 2003.  I had just graduated from college and was flat broke.  I had also just gotten my tonsils taken out.  Maestra Alex the Scribe graciously sponsored my journey to Pennsic.  She and I (mostly she after the first time I drove...I apparently was not a good enough driver back then) drove from Flagstaff Arizona to Slippery Rock Pennsylvania in about three days.   She paid my entrance fee as well as for my meal plan.  I remain eternally grateful to her for taking a poor college kid on the journey of her life.  I have great memories of that event and I look forward to being able to repay her kindness one day by sponsoring my own starving college kid.

No quite there yet though.  Today, I'm a 30 year old Corporate Drone who has a steady job, a supportive fiance, and just enough vacation time.  Oh, and the nice tax refund helped out too.  I paid for my ticket and pre-registration back in April and I've saved up enough cash to actually be able to have a souvenir *other* than my site token from Pennsic 32 (which I still have and is one of my most treasured possessions) and what other small things I could buy with Maestra Alex's generosity.

There are several reasons why I chose this year to go.  First, it's the 40th anniversary of the event, which tells me there will be a lot of history to be able to see (and indeed, I did hear of a Pennsic history exhibit going on.  Will be going and taking plenty of pictures!)  Second, I feel like I'm at the cusp of a new transition.  I am finally feeling like an Adult.  I have a solid relationship with the love of my life and my financial situation is nice and stable (knock on wood).  After this, it'll be time to start saving and planning for my wedding.  Who knows when I'll have this opportunity again? 

For a little over a year now, I've been the Virtual Herald for the Kingdom of Atenveldt.  I post live rapid fire updates of Royal Court at events the Crown and I happen to be at.  This began as an excuse to use my shiny new DROID phone in court (Thanks, Master Godfrey! ;) These have become quite popular and well liked by the populace.  Because of the downturn in the economy, it's harder and harder to come out and play SCA since it can be a pretty expensive hobby.  Luckily, I have time (and discretionary spending cash) to burn, and I believe that by posting my updates, I'm giving back to all those folks who helped me when I was a broke college student.  Gotta love social media!

Because of the propensity of such media (and a recent excursion to Batteries Plus, where I got extra batteries for all of my technical gadgets)  I will be posting live updates from Pennsic 40.  My goal is to see what there is to see, document it, and show it to the folks back home and anyone else who wants to take a gander at my blog.  I'll be posting pictures, quick little observations, and commentary on the places and events.  Of course, this is just me, so I can't be everywhere at once.  I'll do my best to catch a little bit of everything, but my main focus will be on Arts and Sciences and shopping.  I will also do my best to document the opening and closing ceremonies and I have scheduled time to do a couple of the Heraldry walk-a-rounds that are scheduled.  I will admit, I'm not really interested in the fighting, but I'll see what I can find.  If anyone out there is interested in seeing a particular aspect of Pennsic 40, let me know and I'll do my best to oblige.

Next Saturday I'll be hopping on a plane and making my way to Pittsburgh International Airport.  My gracious hostess and good friend THL Bertana (formerly of Atenveldt, now living in the East) will pick me up and take my Cooper's Lake where I will spend a week in the Current Middle Ages.  I've got my all linen wardrobe (compliments of Mistress Turrel and the ladies at the Elizabethan Sweatshop); my very comfy walking sandals; my camera/laptop/smartphone combo; and most importantly, me!

Greetings, Atenveldt!

This is THL Jerusha a'laon, your Virtual Herald.

Fear not, I will still continue to post micro-blogs of Court at the events I attend on the Kingdom of Atenveldt Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/atenveldt).  However, I also wanted to start a general blog for Atenveldt news, pictures, and commentary.  This is my own space and the opinions on this blog are my own and are not in any way, shape or form those of the officers, Crowns and Coronets of Atenveldt.  This is a free and open space for anyone who is interested in additional content from the Virtual Herald.

I'm not interested in having this blog become a political battleground.  I just want to be able to serve my kingdom as well as have an outlet for the journalism and photography degree I got from Northern Arizona University.  Please respect that.

Thanks for reading and feel free to comment on any subsequent posts!