I’m taking a break from flat earth arguments to write this. The last thing I physically wrote never saw the light of day, mostly because I mulled over some of the things I scribbled out and didn’t want to rehash any redundant points about my love life or lack thereof. What I will rehash, however, is one point that ties a lot of what was written there to what I will say here: it’s so important to surround yourself with like minded individuals and create experiences. I’ve lived in California for nearly two and a half years and also happen to be a huge League of Legends pro league fan that has not attended an NA LCS until now. Shame on me because it was quite the experience.
First and foremost, the venue is amazing. Four matches were split between the arena and theater at Riot – and despite arriving a little late, we were able to see the teams that we wanted to see (Cloud9, FlyQuest, and Team Solomid). I was extremely giddy because I spend a lot of time watching Twitch streams and follow #Worlds every year since season 2 – so to be this close to the commentary, other fans, and my favorite teams was thrilling in itself.
Early on, we met a man working security who was one of the most friendliest people I’d met that entire day (shoutout to Chris). He helped us figure everything out in the beginning, because it was literally all such a new experience. In speaking with him some more, we learned that he had been spending time learning more about League of Legends just so he can have a connection with the event attendees. Going that extra mile to ensure not only your enjoyment of your environment but others’? I admire that so much, and it wasn’t my only experience of this during the entire afternoon:
After each match, fan interaction occurred and both teams head outside to take photos with people. During the wait, we got to speak with some of the other fans and quickly befriended a hardcore TSM supporter – and super fan that literally traveled and road tripped through Europe for #Worlds. We spoke with him for about 15 minutes before I mentioned playing the game and he was surprised as if I was there as some sort of non-gaming girlfriend. I’m not easily insulted, but I at least got the opportunity to flex a little bit of my knowledge ;).
Win or lose, both teams showed up and I got to take a picture with my favorite mid laner (Hai, FlyQuest), ADC (Sneaky, Cloud9), and support (LemonNation, FlyQuest). I’m extremely biased, maybe, but the guys from Cloud9 were all so down to earth and super nice despite my awkwardness. I told Sneaky how much I loved him and he told me he loved me too and I *nerdgasm’d*. I’ve posted a majority the pictures on my Instagram ~
The take away points:
- There are a ton of people who go the extra mile to connect with people.
- I hold a serious admiration for the people that hold these events together, especially the professional players/teams that even after a loss meet with fans and snap a few pictures and share words of love or appreciation
- If you are a girl, not dressed in paraphernalia (especially), you are most likely the game ignorant accessory to the guy you happen to be with.
- Claiming a team directly leads to a line of questioning to test your knowledge of said team. Do your homework … (I am being completely facetious here)
- I still look at least 6 years younger than my actual age and this is perfectly acceptable. Thanks for the compliment ~
The whole experience was inspirational – paired with all the events prior to the start of this adventure, I feel motivated to work towards my goals. I feel as though I have something tangible to work towards and understand the things I want a little more. Maybe not professional gaming, but I refuse to stop achieving my goals and dreams.
Love From Michigan | 