Hello, hello!
It took me a while to recover there, ha, but I am back!
And I would love to share with you all my VidCon experience!
This was my second year at VidCon but my first year being invited as a Featured Creator!
I was invited to speak at four panels, uh, all of which I successfully made it to!
Ha!
Almost didn't make the last one, uh, but more on that in a minute...
I'm extremely grateful and honored for the opportunity and I was treated to a type of
travel that I never dared dream of, um, in so many ways. and uh, so I just want to say
thank you to VidCon and to everyone involved for making my stay there so incredible.
Wednesday, June 21st was my travel day.
Alright so this was the first time uh, ever in my life, not that I travel very often by
airplane, um, but this was the first time that I ever did the thing that I always see
in movies where there was somebody there with a sign waiting for me with a car!
Uh.. that was pretty much the start of this feeling of like "Annie visits the Warbucks
mansion" for me!
[LAUGHS] Um, because we had transportation from the airport to our host hotel.
Um, when we got there, uh, first of all, the room was accessible and huge!
Uh, it was amazing, they had a short peep hole for me to use in my wheelchair, um, the
bathroom was really accessible, there was no tub, uh, I could just roll my chair up
to the shower.
Um, just in case you don't know for whatever reason, I am an ambulatory wheelchair user,
meaning that in small spaces I do have the ability to walk around a bit but it's very
fluid because my disability is chronic pain and hyper mobility of my joints, um, as well
as I use a wheelchair for some heart issues that I have.
Um...
And so I can do short distances but at any moment I just won't be able to stand up because
of high pain levels, because my joints are too loose to support my standing, uh, different
things like that so um..
Generally, I will be able to walk around the room but sometimes I cannot and in order to
get around the room I need to use my wheelchair.
Always feel like I have to explain that [LAUGHS AND COUGHS].
Okay, so yes, the room was really accessible for me which was fantastic because there were
some moments that I could not get around the room, uh, by walking.
We also received some gifts that I am beyond friggin grateful for because they changed
my life; specifically, I was given a Roku which is a device to attach to my TV which
makes it so I can connect internet to my TV and watch like Netflix, and Hulu, and YouTube,
uh, straight onto my television, uh, without using any other device.
Um, and also the Amazon echo dot, and both those things, wow, have made my room so much
more accessible in so many ways!
Uh, part of my disability, part of EDS, uh, my hands they are often in a lot of pain,
sometimes they cramp and I can't use them at all, sometimes they're in too much pain
to use them, um, and you know, instead of, you know, having to search something using
my thumbs on my phone, I can just ask "Alexa" whatever I need.
Um, instead of, you know, setting up my bed desk, I can just watch Netflix on the television
with the use of two hits on the remote!
It's incredible!
It's incredible! It's...
Accessible!
[LAUGHS]
So it's really exciting!
So yes, the first night that I was there I did get to do a collab with Ashley Wylde and
the rest of the crew from...
Boxed Wine and Bullshit.
I don't know what I was gonna say right now: Boxed Wine and Bullshit so check them out
over there, um, because that'll be coming out in the next season that they'll be publishing.
Um... and I also got to see Riley Dennis and Ashleigh AKA Marsupial Pudding there.
Then I got stuck at the hotel because of a transportation issue, um, but was eventually
rescued by Elijah and taken to a Small YouTubers getty filled with wonderful, lovely folx that
I really care about.
Okay, let's talk about the next day!
Thursday, June 22.
Bright and early I had my first panel at the Latinx Represent! panel at 9:30am...
It's not THAT early but I have anxiety, and sleep disorders, and I was stuck on Eastern
Standard Time so I woke up at 5:00am anyway.
So the Latinx panel was about Latinx representation and it was a great conversation about casting,
and stereotypes, and racism, and how that affects our work on YouTube and how we would
like to represent our cultures on YouTube and just.. it went really well!
I hung out backstage at VidCon for the rest of the day, for the most part, mainly because
I was anxious that I might be late to my 3:30pm panel.
Yes.
From 10:30am to 3:30pm, I did not think I could get back to the hotel, which was like
5 minutes away, and back...
My anxiety said no.
Seriously, being late to something like that is one of my worst nightmares, my heart will
explode.
I did get to see a couple of other panels and got to have lunch with some other creators,
that was fun.
Then I literally just sat by myself backstage, in the upstairs backstage area, just to be
in silence.
And ooh!
Speaking of that accessibility need, uh, I want to make um, a whole other video specifically
focused on accessibility at VidCon, that won't be this one, I just wanna..
[AMAZON DOT RINGS]
ANNIE: Oh, stop it, Alexa!
Alexa! [LAUGHS]
ALEXA: I'm having trouble connecting to the internet..
ANNIE: Girl, don't interrupt!
Alexa...
[LAUGHS]
Uh.. you know, she just doesn't mind her own business.
ALEXA: Hmm. I'm not sure.
ANNIE: Calm down.
Right, sorry, uh, yes, I want to devote a whole video about um, accessibility uh, pros
that happened at VidCon and stuff that I really would like to see improved, but that will
be probably the next video.
Mental Health panel, that was my 3:30 panel was brilliant but... HEAVY.
Lots of lovely things were spoken about regarding representation and mental health and also
the stigma or ableism that is experienced regarding mental illness, um, if you're interested
in that, this was actually a really excellent panel, I'm not just saying that because I
was on it, I'm saying that because I've heard other people say it.
Ha!
So fortunately there are a couple recordings of it, there is a recording of it on
Paul Roth's channel and also on How To ADHD so you can watch it there.
The next day!
June 23rd?
Friday?
So I woke up in a medium level pain flare, mm, [NECK CRACKS] ow!
[LAUGHS]
And uh.. uh, so I took a hot shower um, it felt a little relieved after that.
And then I went downstairs and went to a couple of the booths, I went to the Calvin Klein
booth and got myself this jacket!!
Finally a jacket I feel comfortable like, putting buttons on, uh, and they embroidered
"Annie E" on it, uh, and on the back it says "the future is accessible".
Eee!!
So now it's like my favorite thing.
Then I went to the BBTV lounge, uh, they-they are my MCN, and I got my first spinner, uh,
and a hot cup of tea, and a massage, and I felt much calmer, mm, and ready for my next panel.
Uh..
Then I went to the convention center, still very early, you know, hire me because I have
anxiety and I won't be late to anything where I'm gonna be on stage.
This was the day of the Disabilities on YouTube panel, uh, so I wore my "The Future Is Accessible"
shirt.
They are on sale right now!
So I'll leave the link in the description, it's bonfire.com/thefutureisaccessible.
They are only there for a limited time so you should get them now!
And if you miss the deadline, um, just click, "I'd buy this shirt" and you'll be alerted
whenever they become available again.
[WHISPERS] But you should get them now.
Right, so I wore my shirt, so many other people in the audience wore their shirts.
It was incredible!
Oh!
Like, my heart just swells up!
Um, to feel that solidarity within the community and from non-disabled people too, it was,
ugh, it's beautiful!
Uh, my only wish is that we could've um, stayed and talked to people more.
They really rushed us in and out of spaces, they did not allow us, they told us we were
not allowed to stay and talk to people, um...
And uh...
I feel like other people broke the rules but I'm a goody two-shoes and I'm always terrified
to break the rules, especially with like, my first time being invited here, just um,
so anxious and so afraid of anything any autho-- person of authority tells me in these spaces.
Um..
But it's so rare that we get to be together that way, for disabled creators and disabled
audiences, you know, to be together in the same space.
Uh, that's not an opportunity we get a lot so I wish, I don't know, maybe a meet-up is
something that we could do next year?
...IF I'm invited back.
Ha!
Um...
That's something I would love, that's like, woo!
Can we do that?
Can we all like, meet each other and hug each other and have wonderful conversations?
That would be great!
But for anyone that I did get to talk to, even if it was just for a moment, anyone who
came up to me and asked me for a picture or just did anything uh, regarding interacting
with me, even if it was extremely limited, I want to thank you for your time, thank you
for approaching me, and I'm honored to have you as a viewer, and honored that I matter
to you enough at all to want to talk to me, so I really appreciate it.
That evening the expo was open to us and that was a really fun night!
[CAMERA NOISES]
The next morning, that was Saturday, June 24th...
I woke up in a horrible...
HORRIBLE pain flare.
Um, completely unrelated to the night before, I don't want people to think that I "partied"
or anything and woke up hungover.
It's not like that.
It's my body!
And my illness.
Um..basically, it felt like every single muscle in my body was in a charlie horse cramp.
So it felt like I was on the equivalence of a fire-- it felt like I was on fire all over,
and the only way I could think of putting that fire out was to you know, get under the
hot water, the hot shower, you know, try and calm the muscles down.
Um..
So I..
[LAUGHS] did my best to make my way over to the shower, I did that, but the shower head
was like really small and like, I had to like one by one, hose off these muscles.
Oh, god, I did not think I was gonna make it.
Then as I was trying to get dressed, mind you, did I forget to mention I also had a
panel this day?
I had panels every day of the convention.
So I was trying to get dressed, uh, and then I became violently --violently nauseous.
Nothing happened, I didn't um, actually throw up, but it was like the nausea that you just
felt, ugh, like it was you know, gonna happen at any moment.
Um...
[GIGGLES] EDS is so fun.
I did make it though.
The panel that day was the Accessibilities on YouTube.. why did I say it like that?
Accessibility on YouTube panel, um, I made it through that, um, but immediately just
returned to the hotel with Rikki, um, and uh, basically rested for the rest of the day.
I got to see a few people but I was just in no shape to really do anything or talk to
anyone.
Towards the end of the day, um, my muscles were still in really horrible pain, in bad
shape, so I thought maybe the jacuzzi would help, cuz I didn't have a tub in my room.
Um.. and then down there I ran into Jenny Lorenzo and Kat Lazo, [SINGS] ahh!
And they're beautiful latinx queens and we had great conversations down there too, also
ran into Molly Burke down there.
Then I rested a lot more and I was able to make it to the final VidCon party which was great!
Here are some pics!
[CAMERA NOISES]
And the last day was Sunday June 25th and that was Disney Day.
We went to Disney's California Adventure for the first time which was cool!
I mean..
I obviously think Disney World here in my home state is a lot 'bettuh'!
But there were a couple of rides there that I was really impressed with!
Including the new um, replacement for Tower of Terror.
Which I'm really upset about, Twilight Zone is my favorite show, don't touch me there!
But the new ride was really good!
And so was the Cars ride!
It was REALLY good!
And that essentially was my VidCon experience!
It was lovely, it was magical, it was motivating, and inspiring and.. not without its problems...
but what isn't?
Um, but overall it's just such a gift to have the opportunity to be surrounded by creative
individuals and being able to discuss all of the important things we were talking about,
we had really incredible conversations there, um...
[STAMMERS]
I'm a chronically ill disabled person, I'm very often sick, in a lot of pain, um, really
fatigued, sometimes I sleep for 18 hours, like, you know, if you're part of the fam,
you know a lot of the things that I go through.
Um, so really, any time I get out of the house, I'm really grateful for the experience, um,
this was, you know, just beyond!
It was more than I've ever dreamt of asking for, um, in a lot of ways, so I'm really really
grateful, really really happy with this trip!
Okay, uh, remember to stay tuned, I'm gonna be talking a little bit more about accessibility
at the event in my next video and I will see you eventually!
Bye!
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