And so, my post-con depression has already kicked in.
However, I want to thank everyone who made BronyCon so great.
Coming all the way from the Netherlands was not easy,
but everything was worth the journey.
Even if I had to do it a thousand times again,
I still would've done it just to meet up with my friends again,
after not having seen them for more than an entire year.
Ever since the last convention ended,
I have been counting down the days until the next one began.
It is still hard to fathom that this year marks my eighth and the final BronyCon.
Time flies,
Time flies, and so will I within a few moments.
And during that time, it will be a long journey of
thinking about all the events that have
transpired during this past weekend.
One convention, many heroes.
Innumerable friends to meet, and countless experiences to share.
I have seen so many amazing and beautiful people when I was there,
and thinking back;
I'm still amazed how vibrant the attendees were at the venue.
Young and old, male and female fans,
citizens and visitors;
the convention consisted of all walks of life.
There were people coming all over the world,
people all the way from France, Belgium,
Sweden, and even oriental countries such
as Taiwan and Japan.
There were also people from the UK and Germany,
you know, my neighbors.
And they were also even a few people from Netherlands for the very first time as well,
the country where I'm from,
which gave me a sense of home,
despite me being so far away from it.
To me, the convention was a microcosm
and a representation of the world.
With all of her strengths, and none of her weaknesses;
contained in one single venue.
It was a brief utopia on Earth.
Not only that, this convention allowed me to catch a glimpse into the future as well,
when I saw how kind everyone was to each other,
how everyone treated each other,
I thought to myself;
this is what humans should be like in the future,
this is what the world should be like in the future.
This phenomenon I experienced,
the ability to peer into the future,
is truly magic.
To me, these people weren't just attendees.
They were even more than mere friends.
They are family to me.
Being a part of the community for so many years,
we have been through so many events since the inception of our fan base.
Whether it's the friends we've made,
or the opposition we faced,
we all have shared similar experiences and common interest among
each other that makes us all... family.
That's why it was especially hard for me
to say goodbye to a family of more than 10,200 people.
This community binds us together,
and thus; we are all brothers and sisters within this fandom.
These events have connected us, and so did the convention.
Throughout the year, I kept thinking about my distant friends
in dire and good times alike.
I have missed them dearly,
and I will miss them again after this con.
What makes my post-con depression even more painful
is not just that I live so far away from them,
but also the knowledge that this year's BronyCon was the final one.
I am separated so far away from them,
seas and nation apart,
and Celestia knows when I will ever get to see them again.
As we each go our separate ways,
I know I'll have to re-adjust back to my daily life
once I'm in the Netherlands.
However, despite being so far away from them,
there is one thought that keeps me going;
the joyous souls may not be alongside with me anymore,
but their enduring spirits will forever remain with me.
And knowing that we all happen to live on
the same mote of dust in this vast universe,
floating across the seas of space and time,
that we also breathe the air,
and look up at the same sky;
connected by light - it just reminds me
that we may be closer than we think.
And not only are we connected by the light from the same sky,
not only are we connected by the light in the form of
radio signals that allows us to stay connected,
We are also connected by the
very same light that has made all of us as well,
the light that originated from the Big Bang.
We are connected by the
very same light that gave rise of all existence.
We are always connected,
and all the elements I've mentioned
are enough to give me comfort that
all of you are still here with me, really close by,
by my side;
for our paths are connected, and our destinies are shared.
The memories I got from the convention,
as well as all the people within those memories;
they will always remain with me, forever.
I will treasure those memories
for the rest of my life,
and as I all those memories close to my heart,
everyone alongside those memories
will still be close to me too.
In that sense, it will no longer matter wherever I may go,
or how far away I may be,
because I will carry all of you within my heart,
just like I do with my memories,
because you are all in it, at all times; always.
I will always keep you all in my thoughts,
and every time I reflect back on those memories,
I will be able to picture you
right in front of me.
Even though we may go our separate ways,
our shared elements keep us all connected,
no matter how far apart we may be from each other.
That's for sure.
That's why, in avery special and meaningful way,
you are all still here with me right now.
All of you are as much a part of my life as
I am a part of your lives.
And now I'll never be able to fully express how lucky
and grateful I am...
to have all of you guys whom
I regard not just as my lifelong friends,
but that's my family.
I will always remember every single one of you,
I'll never forget how amazing you all are,
and all the fun we had at the venue.
I came here alone, and now alone shall I return.
"Alone".
In my mind, this word has a multitude of
meanings and emotions embedded in it,
because it is exactly how I feel right now.
As soon as I board the plane, it will be
more than 20 hours of constant
retrospection and reflection about all
the events from the past couple of days,
especially the people I've seen
and the friends I've met.
No matter how much I draw,
or how much I contribute to this community,
I will never be able to repay you, all of you,
for everything you have shared with me.
The inspiration, the motivation, the dedication, as well as the
kindness, emotions, experiences, memories,
and most important of all; the friendship
I got from this convention, from you guys
are gifts that you have given me,
that I will treasure for the rest of my life,
because these past five days are days I
will never, ever forget.
I will always remember the unforgettable moments there,
such as when we have raised over $80,000
at the charity auction.
Even though this is my 8th BronyCon,
I always experience something new.
Thanks to you guys, it's always an adventure to be there.
We have made our voices heard,
had fun together, broke new records together,
and to those who are
having post-con blues and depression,
just let it all out if you must,
because I sure as hell did.
It's one of the most human things we can do,
to express our emotions that makes one
feel truly alive.
Let us shed our tears and channel those emotions together
into something positive,
in order to change the world together.
Not just a world where future generations of people
won't have to hide their enthusiasm
for a wholesome cartoon in fear,
but also much more broader than that,
where those future generations of people
won't be judged by their harmless interests
and innocuous preferences, and are able to
openly celebrate their passion for their
hobbies without being reviled nor
ridiculed by the rest of society.
There are no words more fitting to the end of this convention,
than what Mayor Mare said
at the end of the 100th episode of the show.
To this very day,
her quote still holds true and is incredibly
relevant to the past few days.
And thus, I paraphrase;
"I see so many people from all walks of life,
brought together by friendship.
I traveled all across the lands and oceans
to find my friends again,
and no matter what obstacles kept us apart,
friendship would finally bring me and my friends together,
just as it has brought everyone together now.
it's remarkable to me
how one cartoon show could fill the
entire convention with such a unique collection of people.
It makes you realize that everyone is the star of their own story.
And it isn't just the important people in our stories
that makes life so rich.
It is everyone - those who play big parts and small.
If it weren't for everyone in the convention,
and many more who couldn't be there,
this community wouldn't be as full and vibrant as it is."
These will be my final words before I board
the plane back to home, back to reality,
but know that all of you are awesome
and amazing in my eyes, and will always have
a special place in my heart.
Thank you all so much for coming to the final BronyCon,
and giving me that chance,
that privilege, to see you guys one last time
before the final BronyCon ended,
and thank you so much... so, so much for the
unforgettable moments and memories you all
have shared with me.
Your presence alone made the convention so much
brighter than already was.
I salute you. Many greetings from the Netherlands,
I had such a great time in the United States.
Thank you all for being so kind to me,
and making me feel welcomed.
I won't say farewell to you all, but I
will say; "see you later",
because at some point in the future,
we'll definitely meet each again.
We will definitely, one day;
see each other again.
Remember to stay 20% cooler my friends.
Here is a brohoof, all the way from the Netherlands
before I board my flight back home; /)
And to my friends in the Netherlands;
I'm coming home...