I still think fests are worth it for the 'offline' engagement alone, so don't let jerks like me colour your experience!
Now I feel bad.
You're not a jerk, I guess that these things just happen.
One of my favorite parts of it all is getting to chat with people I don't know (even if I'm dead on my feet), so I really apologize that instead of being kind and pleased to meet you, I didn't manage to act that way or convey that.
Thanks for being thoughtful enough to apologise for something that you probably don't remember. That final night in the salt mines was the end of a long three days after all.
Tbh, it was more the way aggroed looked at me when I made a joke about the bridge of khazad dum, said nothing, and then just turned around and continued talking to you. That got my back up, and it fired up my anxiety for the rest of the night. That type of behaviour will stay in your memory when you've spent years battling social anxiety.
All in all, SF3 in Krakow was an OK experience for me. It reminded me how introverted I am (and that it's OK to be introverted as long as you recognise it), and how that anxiety will rear its ugly head in such massive group situations. This is the only reason why I wouldn't class my time in Krakow as good, or excellent. I don't think some people are made for networking, or at least it isn't natural (or fun) for them.
I must have plucked up the courage to speak to about 10-15 people (outside of the group I was staying with) the whole time I was there. But sometimes it's a quality over quantity thing. As I got to know Jayna (who took over The Ink Well from me when my health meant I couldn't keep up with running a community) on the way back from the Auschwitz trip and we bonded over a mutual love of monty python, and both being fiction writers. Also a few others on the return coach such as arcange , elizacheng, nomadicsoul and a few other people, as we were all drawn into a kind of post 'horrors of Auschwitz' group healing session on the coach. A lot of laughing 😂, but also sober reflection, an odd combo tbh.
I also met some people I'd already interacted with on-chain like soyrosa llfarms, karinxxl, buttcoins and honeydew. And someone I'd worked with in promo-mentors community called evecab. But nearly all of these people have disappeared from hive now. Only jayna, soyrosa, karinxxl and arcange remain from all those people I mentioned. I guess I had a mixed bag of a time at SF3 for one reason or another as I'm not naturally outgoing.
Anyway, all of that is a long time ago and is water under the bridge crimsonclad.
I've just got a memory that seems to get clearer as I get older, strange but true.