"A Very POS Summer Vacation" sponsored by POS Industries and Viewers Like You
 

This summer I am taking a vacation, because if I don't I will A) lose those vacation days in August and 2) I haven't been out of Ohio in a year and a half and, if I don't get a few days away from this godforsaken shithole of a state soon, I'm terrified of what I might do. I have already got a trip planned, namely back to my hometown of Asheville, NC. I have a place to stay for the week and several friends to catch up with, and it's been a couple years since my last visit and I miss the place terribly.

However, roughly two weeks after my planned excursion, the EVO fighting game championships are scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, and a quick look on Expedia showed that the airfare and hotel costs would be about the same as my travel expenses for the Asheville trip. Entry into any of the tournaments is open to the public, though I won't win any of them (or even progress very far at all, mostly likely), but it is a great chance to play some fightan gaems and learn a great deal more about playing them well than I am in my apartment alone.

It's also, quite strangely, less terrifying than going home. I've spent the past several years quite comfortably removed from everyone who remembers all the embarrassing shit I ever did when I was younger, and I've grown to actually prefer the reputation I've garnered here as just a rather standoffish guy with a nice voice to whatever the hell reputation I've left behind in NC. There are also other aspects related to the lovely young lady I'll be staying with in Asheville that could potentially lead to a degree of disappointment followed by however many days it is until I can fly the hell out of there that maybe it'd be a good idea to skip that shit entirely.

Conversely, I could also act like an actual human being who knows his friends all love him and can't wait to see him and should totally go visit them for the first time in an absurd amount of years, instead of avoiding anything that could even remotely involve any real amount of sentiment or intimacy like I've grown entirely too comfortable doing as of late. So there's that.

So let's break this down scientifically:

PROS OF ASHEVILLE

• I know lots of people.
• Catching up with old friends.
• More familiar territory.
• Nicer weather and scenery.
• Chance of getting laid.
• Less expensive overall.

CONS OF ASHEVILLE

• I know lots of people.
• Greater risk of personal disappointment, embarrassment, and overall awkwardness.
• Nebulous activity plans. I have a rough idea of who all I'll be seeing, but not when, where, or how, nor what we'll be doing to amuse ourselves in the process.
• No car. Will be slave to mass transit, rides from friends, and perhaps the occasional taxi.

PROS OF VEGAS

• I don't know anyone.
• Less risk of embarrassing myself in a memorable way.
• Vidya gaems all day errday.
• Chance, albeit infinitessimal, of winning money.
• Opportunity to learn more about the art of fighting (but not Art of Fighting), improve my skills, and thoroughly enjoy myself while I'm doing it.
• Chance to meet and play with/against top players.
• Can tell Aris Bakhtanians to go fuck himself.
• Can take bus directly from hotel to the event.

CONS OF VEGAS

• I don't know anyone.
• Bus ride from most affordable hotel is 48 minutes, making going back and forth from Caesar's Palace to my hotel room a hassle.
• It's hot and sunny, and I hate both those things.
• My current main game, Street Fighter x Tekken, will only be having a 2v2 tag team event, which means I'll need to find a partner and train with them adequately.
• Greater chance of embarrassing myself in front of countless people both at the event and watching on the internet.
• I will not win at anything. Ever.
• Will require actually buckling down and practicing in order to stave off the previous two cons as much as is humanly possible.
• Odds of TSA mistaking my fightstick and related equipment for a possible bomb and inspecting/confiscating/destroying my luggage with a robot are higher than I'd prefer.
• Aris Bakhtanians probably has friends who are bigger than me.
• Have you ever smelled a game room at a con? Well, this is a con with nothing but game rooms.
• Lower chance of getting laid (for free).
• More expensive overall.

What do?

Hmm I'd say Asheville! Sounds to me like it might be a more meaningful trip to take! Less expenses, some friends, etc. Try to be confident! If you have a decent reputation in your current area than maybe you can shake off your old one if you just stick to it.

Go to Evo and Vegas. Your avatar says you'll prefer it.

Cons for Vegas

• I might be there

Go home

Poch and Funks are out in Vegas.

So you totally know people there.

I am going to do you the favor of ruining vegas for you by promising to show up there if you do.

I will bring them and liz it will be just a big mushy mess of meeting people you sorta kinda know in a context that makes it hecks weird to meet them in actual person.

Yeah, defs leaning toward Asheville now.

Thanks, fuckers. :mad:

If it helps I had no intention of actually meeting you. I can't be equating NPF people to real people.

You can hit up SRK and look for people to split a Ceaser room if that isn't a thing that bothers you. Possibly cheaper and cuts out the travel time. Plus being at the hotel of an event makes it significantly better.

Yeah, I could do that, but I do think I'd feel more comfortable with my own room. It'd be different if I were traveling with someone I know, but to have to share sleeping quarters with a complete stranger at an event like this is something I actually have done before and have no desire to do again.

In the ever-dwindling chance I do decide to go to Evo, though, I'll probably go ahead and hit up SRK for a partner, though.