Oh jeez, that Otakon ad. I still remember that being, like, this forbidden "you'll never go there" thing to 15-year-old me. ... She'd be absolutely baffled to know that I've gone about a 7 or 8 times since 2003 😅

Aww, yeah, I felt the same way reading about the US conventions at my local UK anime club in '95-96. Took the best part of decade, but I eventually attended Otakon, Katsucon, Ohayocon and a few other smaller regional anime cons while living stateside for five years.