Weird, Wild Stuff

I'm back home from Essen, and I don't even know where to begin. It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen, a world different than the Origins or E3s that I've attended. For one thing, it was big, airy, and brightly lit. For another thing...it was BIG. It is the largest in the world, literally more than 10 times the size of our conventions. I don't think I've gotten such a workout in all my gym time this year combined. If you're thinking of attending, I recommend training for it. :)

All in all, I conducted over 14 interviews, including:

• Nick Medinger (Funagain.com)
• Matt Leacock (Pandemic)
• Nick Kellet (GiftTRAP)
• Gordon and Fraser Lamont (Snow Tails)
• Reiner Knizia (Lost Cities, Poison, LotR: The Confrontation, and a few hundred others)
• Klaus & Guido Teuber (Settlers of Catan)
• Donald X. Vaccarino (Dominion)
• Christophe Boelinger (Dungeon Twister)
• Mark Kaufmann (Days of Wonder)
• Alexander Yeager (Mayfair Games)

I barely ate, and barely slept. I saw amazing sights, from a life-size foozball table to chainmail bikinis and finger-skateboarding. I got lost for a couple hours, had the best beef and mushroom stew I've ever tasted from one of the food booths, and thronged with the mass of humanity traveling the halls. The sound of the crowd was on par with Niagra Falls.

It was a surreal sort of wonderland, and I already want to go back. As I was sitting at the airport terminal, the following song struck me as a fitting farewell:

Goodbye Song - Yo Gabba Gabba!