I came home from CIV yesterday, and my head still hasn't come down from the clouds (well, as far down as it will ever get ). As a first-time SW convention attendee, I didn't know what to expect. But spending time among friends, meeting new friends, and being immersed in the GFFA not only obliterated any anxiety I felt, but was just about as close to Heaven as this SW fan has ever been.

After my first few hours of checking into the hotel, hooking up with my Crew of friends, and starting to check out the exhibits, it seemed as if the "real world" just didn't exist anymore (and that's a good thing! ). I felt completely at home among the remote-controlled astromechs, props, and costumers. The atmosphere was one of acceptance, of all of us sharing in the love of our Saga, and of having FUN.

The attraction I was most looking forward to was the art, and I wasn't disappointed. I got to meet Joe Corroney and Tsuneo Sanda, the creators of my favorite pieces of SW art ("The Great Remorse of Darth Vader", "25th Anniversary" and "Star Wars Saga"). These and the other artists I met are SO talented, and they seemed as happy to be there as any other fan.

Other highlights were getting Carrie Fisher's autograph, seeing her show "A Conversation with Carrie Fisher" (which was hilarious), seeing my homey JP77 perform (fabulous as always!) in the talent show, and the costume pageant. I had no idea of the amount of time and effort it took for costumers to put together those stunning creations; they looked as if they'd popped right out of the movies. To say that these people are dedicated is an understatement.

And talk about togetherness - at the opening ceremonies, we sang "Happy Birthday" to SW and shared in some birthday cake. That brought tears to my eyes...7,000 strangers gathered together to wish our Saga a Happy 30th. Good times.

Last but never least, I got to spend quality time with my Crew and some other bloggers who I now consider my friends. We really took care of each other; the convention was so big, and of course we all wanted to do different things at different times, but we always kept in touch and made sure no one was left out. I tell ya, there are some very special people out there in the blog-o-sphere.

Now it's back to the daily grind. But my world will never be the same because of the experiences I've had and shared in the GFFA in L.A.

**EDIT: The pics are now ready. Go to Photobucket, log in with: swfan_2006, password: celebrate.
Enjoy!