2014 OYAN Summer Workshop

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” – A.A. Milne

I attended the OYAN Summer Workshop last week. I still don’t quite have the words to describe it, I just know that those days were the best I can ever remember having. 

It was, more or less, a nine hour drive. We got a cool rental car (with a sun roof!) and began our drive. I thought I would be freaking out the whole way, but I wasn’t. I couldn’t figure out why. And then it was five hours. And three. And “MOM ONLY TWO HOURS AND FIFTY FIVE MINUTES!” And then one. And we were getting closer and closer. 

Then there was the college, and I could almost see it, and that awful stoplight that seemed to last for an impossible forever. And then we were pulling in, and I was so nervous and excited and freaking out and bouncing. My mom found a parking spot and I got out and nervously proceeded inside to sign up. But I wasn’t really looking to sign up, I was looking for my matching orange t-shirt. I was looking for Ellie, my wonderful Pond, who I’d been waiting to meet since last November. 

I saw her. Actually I saw her shirt first, and then “Ellie… ELLLIIIIIIEEEE!” And she looked up and I ran towards her and hugged her. And then I was bouncing up and down, literally, and I couldn’t stop talking and laughing, and my mom dragged me over to sign in, but I just kept looking at all the people. And it was finally real. It was the SW, and I was really, truly there. 

I got to room with Ellie, and she is seriously the most amazing Pond ever. She was funny and nice and I think we kinda scared people together because we kept saying hi to people we didn't know, and asking for their autographs for our blue binder thingy. She is my Pond, and I miss her a lot. 

It was, like my mom said before I’d even walked in, “Look Cameron. It’s your people.” Yes mom. They very much are. 

Then there was Hannah and Delaney and I was super happy. And then I was looking for Feanor, and I was like three inches in front of someone, and I turn to Ellie and ask, “Is this her?”

And Ellie says, “No, that’s Catsi.” That’s Catsi. The person three inches in front of me was my Frodo. My glorious Frodo.

I screamed and Catsi screamed and we glomped each other BECAUSE IT WAS MY FRODO AND I WAS HER SAM! And then I said hi and hugged her again and I smiled even more, and I apologized for not having a potato. 

Then there was Fea, and the Inkling, and Katherine and so many people and it was so wonderful.

Ellie took me to find the dorms, and I freaked out more, and we were right next to Hannah and Delaney.

We went to get food, only to find out neither of us had purchased the meal for the first night. So we talked about dying of starvation and then went back to the dorms to eat Sour Patch Kids.

The sessions all week were some of the most wonderful things ever. I do believe they were my favorite parts. 

Doctor Who day was simply amazing. There were so many costumes and cosplays, and Addison built a life size TARDIS. Seriously. It was the most amazing thing. 

I loved the Sherlock gathering we had, which I’d been looking forward to. We read some sad fanficiton that turned happy, and then we decided to do it the next night. So Wednesday night Hannah read some of hers and it made me cry. Like really real crying. So of course Ellie took pictures of me crying and then showed them to people, and then I think I gained a reputation as the person-who-cries-over-fanfiction. It’s a rather fitting title. Staying up ‘til one every night except one was wonderful. Very tiring, but I wouldn’t do it any other way.

Reading fanficiton,  assuming the “feels” position, and calling Thorin a Majestic Jerk are some of my favorite memories. 

Critique groups were great. I was, initially, extraordinarily nervous about them. And then the time came, and I had a moment of panic because I lost Catsi and couldn’t find the correct place to go. But then I found her, and we went together, and suddenly I was critiquing, and then I was reading, and then… Well, I discovered that it was quite a wonderful thing. And I can’t forget to mention Bob, our invisible sloth. Yes, our group had an invisible sloth. He got the extra chair. 

Our critique group was called the Fairy Pools, and I miss it so much. On the last day Addison gave everyone a plastic fairy wand and we took group pictures with them. We are so fabulous

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Open Mic. Night was so incredibly wonderful. My Ninja Buddy played "I See Fire" on the piano, and sang it. It was wonderful. And then there was a Doctor Who piece, and a hilarious skit about reading your old writing, and quite a bit more. My Ellie Number Two, from my critique groups, sang "Safe and Sound" with her friend, and I loved it so very much. 

The last night was bittersweet. I cried, not because I was thinking I would never come back, but because of what I was leaving behind until the next year. I’ll never forget singing worship songs that night, albeit tearfully, with a large group of OYANers. That is one of my favorite memories.

I miss my Sherlock Sisters so very much, and I can’t wait to see them next year. I miss everything so much. Going back to normal is still feeling weird, and I suppose I’ll never not miss the workshop until I’m back again. That was my favorite week I can ever remember. 

In the words of Samwise Gamgee, “Well, I’m back.”

P.S. I’ll put quite a lot of pictures in a separate post. I don’t think I could assort them for this post in any coherent way.

-Cameron