Urge to PAX fading...

TerraAlDente

Hello All,

I had planned a trip to PAX and a 7 day extra stay to show Seattle to my girlfriend, plane tickets have been bought, hotel reserved and car rented. However we have recently broken up, so a vacation together is no longer feasible. I also have no idea what to do in Seattle by myself for 10 days, as I've already hit up alot of the attractions on my last visit, don't drink, and am terminally shy(this condition ends with implosion). Even PAX is less enticing now, as I have nobody to share it with, and have been on a downward gaming trend as of late. I almost wish that by chance I'd fly out there and make a connection with someone special, however with my luck, being from Miami, it'll be with a Seattle native.

So, I guess the question is what to do with the vacation? Shorten it to just PAX, find a date, argue for a refund? I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks.

mentok1982

You should post a pic of yourself in this thread in hopes of finding a new female PAX companion.

David Coffman

You should definitely come to PAX.

Breakups can be difficult and the urge to hole yourself in and mope is overwhelming. PAX will a), give you something to look forward to, b), provide a social atmosphere where you're surrounded by people, and c), be a lot of fun, which is more important for you now than it will be most times.

I wouldn't come hoping to find that next special someone, but I would come for the chance to take your mind of things and have the time of your life.

Phanman

Being around a horde of people having a good time is a bit infectious. PAX itself should lift your spirits.

As for what you can do in Seattle? Well you can definitely find stuff to do and you can even try to change your flight time and hotel reservations if you want to get there just for PAX.

Tony Hellmann

Dude, that's rough. I've been where you are and it isn't fun.

But it gets better. Only you have control over how fast or slow it gets better. In my opinion, your biggest challenge is just going to be getting on the plane. If you get on the plane, you'll come out and have some fun. This is a big deal...because most people have NO fun, for a long time after a breakup. A big part of getting over something that hurts is changing your brain chemistry, which is a lot easier to do if you're not alone thinking about what could have been, what should have been, or what was.

Come out and be my personal guest. Technomancer Press will hook you up with a full set of TerraDrive Live powerups...all the rares, uncommons, and commons. It takes minutes to learn how to play and then you'll have something fun to do while you stand in line.

I gave a girl a $1000 ring once and she dumped my ass a couple months later, and because I financed the ring, I got a reminder every month from my jeweler of what I didn't have anymore...along with a request for $72. The first two months were really hard, and I isolated myself, which made it worse.

There are people here at PAX who have their hand out to you. Come out and shake it and have a good time.

PM me with your real name and I'll get your cards in the mail Priority with a copy of the rules.

--Tony

Samyel

You should come to PAX. Maybe try to shorten your trip to the PAX weekend, but just come. The best way to get over emotional trauma is to throw yourself back into life and make new memories. I think you'll find that folks are willing to "adopt" you if you have similar interests. What are you into? Panels? Concerts? Tournaments?

Edit: As a suggestion, find yourself a roommate or two for that hotel room. Then you avoid that whole lonely hotel-room feel, and have a chance of making some new friends. If you're shy, maybe limit it to one or two roomie--hopefully other solo travelers? Even better if you can bring a game console!

badrew

I recently dropped one person off my reservation to the green tortiose, so cancel your hotel and party in the hostel with all other pax guys in the dorms

Liger

You should definitely come to PAX, and tour Seattle if you're still up for it. There is a alot to do and see there, and that's just what you need.

I also just went through a break-up recently, and had a lot of friends to help me through it. My original plan was to go to the expo to see my boyfriend there, and that sure fell through. But one thing that's probably helped the most is getting involved with PAX. I'm not kidding on this either. I'm stuck in a small town for the summer and most of my college friends have left to go home, but one of them encouraged me to get on the bandwagon here. I owe him so much; I've been busy every weekend, I've met a ton of great people, and I've had more fun and distraction than I ever could have hoped for. My advice to you: Keep your plane ticket and find a friend to fill the other, or try to get a refund, find some people to share your hotel space (I know there are some still looking), and get involved as much as you can. Join Terra Drive Live, go to all the panels, movies and concerts you can fit into your schedule. Hit the afterparties, join a game of Mario Kart DS while you're waiting in line for events. Read thru all the posts in this forum to see everything that's going on, and don't stop rocking till you're about to fall over from exhaustion! There is so much to do, and so many wonderful people involved in it all. Have the time of your life and take home the swag for memories.

ThePimpImp

PAX will heal you, try to change the tickets to a shorter time if you don't want to spend all the extra time. Its an amzing good time and you'll be so immersed in everything to do that you won't be able to have thoughts about much else. I'm going to use PAX to heal the pain I have, so I can be ready for whatever September brings.

Tonkka

Yeah, come to PAX, people, as far as I can tell, will be friendly enough to engage you if you want them to, and more than likely will not intrude if you're feeling shy. Of course, it's my first time too, and I have friends that will be there even if they don't show up "with" me. I will more than likely end up wandering around on my own quite a bit as well.

Come anyway!

Liger: I always loved summer quarter at CWU...

smes

Come to PAX and party it up.

Foxy_Roxy

ThePimpImp wrote: »

PAX will heal you, try to change the tickets to a shorter time if you don't want to spend all the extra time. Its an amzing good time and you'll be so immersed in everything to do that you won't be able to have thoughts about much else. I'm going to use PAX to heal the pain I have, so I can be ready for whatever September brings.

Is PAX doing this for a lot of people? healing them for the most stressful time of year (if your in college, or aren't looking forward to winter.) ?

it is for me.

ThePimpImp

It jsut happens to be that for me this year, last year was different in that I hadn't been before and could not comprehend the awesomeness. This year I've been at university for 12 months straight, in fact, i'm finishing my last report up now (only 6 more left ). Then I have 8 months of mandatory co-op work, which I still haven't landed a job for

Top that off with the end of a 2+ year relationship with my girlfriend/best friend(was before we got together, we'll see now) because shes preparing to move away. I've tried lanning with my buddies, but that just isn't the same, since i'm so close to everything. PAX will get me away and get me to concentrate on good times and gaming.

So Its still the awesomeness that drew me to pax, being that it was an amazing time last year and now with the new venue and the rediculous lineup of byoc tournies and another friend coming this time, it'll liekly be even better. Its more by chance the other stuff happened and I think PAX will help me out. That and I can't wait to take off.

babelfish

I'LL BE YOUR SOMEONE SPECIAL!

phamtq

babelfish wrote: »

I'LL BE YOUR SOMEONE SPECIAL!

Well, now you have no excuses left. Youz definitely coming.

padmeamanda

nequam wrote: »

yup. Come to PAX. I'm coming alone too and am also quite terminally shy. But i'm determined not to let that stop me from having fun this time. Come to all the pre-PAX activities and try to find people to go to events with, wander around town and talk with.
And i hope that sci-fi museum is worth visiting twice. I also have a few extra days to wander around Seattle, and am quite looking forward to it.

Eh... I wouldn't say the Sci-Fi museum is worth visiting twice. You could catch all of the Sci-Fi museum AND the Experience Music Project in one afternoon, though I suppose it depends on how much time you want to spend playing the demo instruments.

If you get bored with the museum, you could always check out the Science Center and IMAX. Right now they are showing Dinosaurs in 3-d (pretty cool, but short), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in 3-d and a couple of oldies on Lewis and Clark and Mount St. Helens. If you've never seen the Mount St. Helens movie, it's actually worth seeing even though it's old.

Oh, and I don't recommend Riding the Ducks. You're better off catching a ferry ride, or going down to the pier (near the ferries) and wandering around Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe and also Pike Street Market.

Sumi

Come to pax. We can be friends.

Also I booked a whole week off and I have time after pax to chill out, so if you decide to stay, we could gather a few people and go do some tourist-ey stuff.

Sumi

Tony Hellmann wrote: »

Dude, that's rough. I've been where you are and it isn't fun.

But it gets better. Only you have control over how fast or slow it gets better. In my opinion, your biggest challenge is just going to be getting on the plane. If you get on the plane, you'll come out and have some fun. This is a big deal...because most people have NO fun, for a long time after a breakup. A big part of getting over something that hurts is changing your brain chemistry, which is a lot easier to do if you're not alone thinking about what could have been, what should have been, or what was.

Come out and be my personal guest. Technomancer Press will hook you up with a full set of TerraDrive Live powerups...all the rares, uncommons, and commons. It takes minutes to learn how to play and then you'll have something fun to do while you stand in line.

I gave a girl a $1000 ring once and she dumped my ass a couple months later, and because I financed the ring, I got a reminder every month from my jeweler of what I didn't have anymore...along with a request for $72. The first two months were really hard, and I isolated myself, which made it worse.

There are people here at PAX who have their hand out to you. Come out and shake it and have a good time.

PM me with your real name and I'll get your cards in the mail Priority with a copy of the rules.

--Tony

I think that is a very gracious thing for you to do for someone. *claps*

And he's right dude, everything will get better.

anable

Tony Hellmann wrote: »

I gave a girl a $1000 ring once and she dumped my ass a couple months later, and because I financed the ring, I got a reminder every month from my jeweler of what I didn't have anymore...along with a request for $72. The first two months were really hard, and I isolated myself, which made it worse.

--Tony

Haha. Wow, that sucks. That's like a slap in the face once a month when you check your mail.

For TerraAlDente, like everyone else has said, you need to have things to look forward to. While it may be your first and strongest instinct, sulking is not going to make the situation any better. Come to PAX and have an awesome time.

Methos645

TerraAlDente wrote: »

Hello All,

I had planned a trip to PAX and a 7 day extra stay to show Seattle to my girlfriend, plane tickets have been bought, hotel reserved and car rented. However we have recently broken up, so a vacation together is no longer feasible. I also have no idea what to do in Seattle by myself for 10 days, as I've already hit up alot of the attractions on my last visit, don't drink, and am terminally shy(this condition ends with implosion). Even PAX is less enticing now, as I have nobody to share it with, and have been on a downward gaming trend as of late. I almost wish that by chance I'd fly out there and make a connection with someone special, however with my luck, being from Miami, it'll be with a Seattle native.

So, I guess the question is what to do with the vacation? Shorten it to just PAX, find a date, argue for a refund? I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks.

Hang out with me and my gang of friends and you'll forget what sad felt like. I will get you sooo crunked you won't remember your name, date of birth or social security number. You may not drink...but you said NOTHING about acid.

-M

Scotasianglish

Dude, that's some harsh stuff. But I'll concur with the others in this thread, that you should still go to PAX. Shorten it, maybe, if you don't want to spend the extra 10 days (I know it gets exspensive) but grooving with all the people at PAX is a good upper, after a breakup: my girlfriend of 2 years broke up with me the week before PAX '05. Decidedly, if you can meet up with the interesting folks here in the thread, it should be better than not going.

Methos645 wrote: »

Hang out with me and my gang of friends and you'll forget what sad felt like. I will get you sooo crunked you won't remember your name, date of birth or social security number. You may not drink...but you said NOTHING about acid.

-M

Because it's illegal. Way to lose.

BrokenAngel

I agree with everyone else. PAX is all about the people, and when you feeling down like this, having fun helps more than you may think.

Pax goers are awesome, fun and friendly people. It's almost impossible not to make a few new friends there, and if your shy about it hang out here in the forums, or our IRC chat for the next week or two and get to know some of us beforehand. These guys are crazy, but lovable.

skwisgaar Skwigelf

Yeah. I am Shy Squared, I hate big crowds and being next to people who are better at games than me is intimidating. But, that didn't stop me in the slightest last year for my first PAX. On the last day of PAX '06 when they announced that they were closing the doors, I was so upset. I wanted to meet more people and bask in the radioactivity of a million television screens... I was home...

Anyway, GO TO PAX, YOU WON'T REGRET IT. Oh, and Seattle is a nice place to look around and have fun and look at the fucked up architecture (I've lived in Seattle for 6 years and I still can't get over the Space Needle...)

TerraAlDente

Wow, thanks for all the encouragement. Though I almost knew what the outcome would be, posting on the PAX forum to ask if I should go PAX and all. Perhaps I just wanted a kick in the pants. It's amazing, in times of stress logically you know you're not alone(there's like 6 billion of we the prolific), but it can feel to be an inherent property of the universe that you're the only sap in existence and your role is to feel pain.

Absolute silliness.

I'll take a look at the various PAX games, but while I appreciate the offer of free items I'd have to turn it down. Now I guess it's a matter of logistics, I booked a hotel 10 miles away because it was cheap and I had a rental car. Looking at the prices for the last few walkable hotels I might be shopping for some floor space or going into the floor space rental business, assuming they allow me to cancel. If I can't cancel, then I'll be forced to engage in some touristy things with my rental, which may not be that bad.

Thanks guys.

Urge to PAX rising.

atray

usually its 48 hour cancellation notice.

eelektrik

Foxy_Roxy wrote: »

ThePimpImp wrote: »

PAX will heal you, try to change the tickets to a shorter time if you don't want to spend all the extra time. Its an amzing good time and you'll be so immersed in everything to do that you won't be able to have thoughts about much else. I'm going to use PAX to heal the pain I have, so I can be ready for whatever September brings.

Is PAX doing this for a lot of people? healing them for the most stressful time of year (if your in college, or aren't looking forward to winter.) ?

it is for me.

Yeah... Ive been depressed for a long time myself. In the past 5 years PAX has been the only time Ive actually felt happy... Being an unemployed perpetually single 23 year old guy with ADD, Sleep apnea, and likely social anxiety disorder, who still lives with his mom, really sucks... The fact that at PAX I can go up to anyone and have a conversation with them just goes a long way towards making me feel like I fit in...

Then I get to come back after PAX and start looking for a job again... Fun fun...

Dee Kae

PAX IS MANLY, GO FOR MEN AND FRIENDSHIP!

xxhennersxx

come to pax! come play and party! my girlfriend just left me saturday...and pax is one of the lights at the end of the tunnle. HANG IN THERE KITTY! xD Seriously have some fun. post ap ic of yourself. seroiusly i'm shy too but at PAX...I'm not.

Raiden333

Back in '05 my girlfriend left me because of PAX.

It wasn't meant to be anyway.

BigRed

Raiden333 wrote: »

Back in '05 my girlfriend left me because of PAX.

It wasn't meant to be anyway.

Bitch.
we are better than her anyway :P

Raiden333

BigRed wrote: »

Raiden333 wrote: »

Back in '05 my girlfriend left me because of PAX.

It wasn't meant to be anyway.

Bitch.
we are better than her anyway :P

No kidding.

KaitouAyashi

Eh, cut her some slack - nerds et al can be notoriously difficult to date for a variety of reasons specific to their general nature. But whatever - it wasn't meant to be and now you both can move on and find someone who is more awesome for you.

PAX will be fun, and only as exclusionary as you make it.

Liger: Being trapped in E-burg during the summer can truly bite unless you have a killer support system and an immense plan of action (plus ppl to carpool with). One of my best friends did it *repeatedly* - I was always surprised at what a good time she seemed to be having.

Liger

KaitouAyashi wrote: »

Eh, cut her some slack - nerds et al can be notoriously difficult to date for a variety of reasons specific to their general nature. But whatever - it wasn't meant to be and now you both can move on and find someone who is more awesome for you.

PAX will be fun, and only as exclusionary as you make it.

Liger: Being trapped in E-burg during the summer can truly bite unless you have a killer support system and an immense plan of action (plus ppl to carpool with). One of my best friends did it *repeatedly* - I was always surprised at what a good time she seemed to be having.

Yeah, I have had a wonderful support system this summer and wow did I need it. I work regular hours during the week, hang with friends here in the evenings and spend my weekends in Seattle with some of the other Enforcers. I've never even been to PAX and it's already been a great experience. I also got a DS and an Xbox, so my distraction levels are at an alltime high. It's exactly what I needed to get through both the break-up and the long summer in a small town.

KaitouAyashi

In general, it's tough to express sarcasm, etc online. Which is why people resort to smilies, tags, and other ways to state they are JUST KIDDING.

Since people are having trouble interpreting your posts the way you intend them, Methos645, perhaps you should try to be clearer?

Just sayin'. *g*

Nephirij

BigRed wrote: »

Raiden333 wrote: »

Back in '05 my girlfriend left me because of PAX.

It wasn't meant to be anyway.

Bitch.
we are better than her anyway :P

red, i don't think anyone could have put it better.

leaf

Some of us could weave a tale of tragedy and sorrow to rival your own. Trillian knows the cliffnotes of my own story, so I speak with experience.

Come out, and don't be a recluse, it's hard to have fun with other people when you refuse to speak with other people. Helped me a hell of a lot atleast.



Methos - haha, nice troll

TrainwreckX

If you don't come to PAX, I'll call you bad names.

Foxy_Roxy

I'm just really worried about getting the spending money. This weekend I have to dance like a maniac and pretend to lurve gross douche bags just so i can eat in seattle...D:

PAX, what have you done to me?!?

all that aside though, the stress of taking work off for a week is enough to "fade my urge". Luckily, according to this, you guys will be there to help take my mind off it. m i rite... guys? ... guys?

BrokenAngel

Foxy_Roxy wrote: »

I'm just really worried about getting the spending money. This weekend I have to dance like a maniac and pretend to lurve gross douche bags just so i can eat in seattle...D:

PAX, what have you done to me?!?

all that aside though, the stress of taking work off for a week is enough to "fade my urge". Luckily, according to this, you guys will be there to help take my mind off it. m i rite... guys? ... guys?

Yes ma'am! Fun will be had by all, we shall make sure of it.

Or at least get you drunk enough you don't remember you didn't

phamtq

Foxy_Roxy wrote: »

all that aside though, the stress of taking work off for a week is enough to "fade my urge". Luckily, according to this, you guys will be there to help take my mind off it. m i rite... guys? ... guys?

Hehe. As a fellow Portlander I'll do my best to make sure you have a good time.

babelfish

eelektrik wrote: »

Foxy_Roxy wrote: »

ThePimpImp wrote: »

PAX will heal you, try to change the tickets to a shorter time if you don't want to spend all the extra time. Its an amzing good time and you'll be so immersed in everything to do that you won't be able to have thoughts about much else. I'm going to use PAX to heal the pain I have, so I can be ready for whatever September brings.

Is PAX doing this for a lot of people? healing them for the most stressful time of year (if your in college, or aren't looking forward to winter.) ?

it is for me.

Yeah... Ive been depressed for a long time myself. In the past 5 years PAX has been the only time Ive actually felt happy... Being an unemployed perpetually single 23 year old guy with ADD, Sleep apnea, and likely social anxiety disorder, who still lives with his mom, really sucks... The fact that at PAX I can go up to anyone and have a conversation with them just goes a long way towards making me feel like I fit in...

Then I get to come back after PAX and start looking for a job again... Fun fun...

Yeah, PAX (and LAN parties locally) is a nice reprieve from life.