I roomed with
The only book I bought was a copy of
I was on five panels, moderating two of them. Three of the panels I'd suggested had made it onto the schedule, and one of them, which I wasn't on, apparently had a jam-packed room, so that made me happy! The addiction in fiction panel turned out to be really interesting, and I think I now have some more focused ideas on that topic to suggest for next year. The last one I moderated, one I'd suggested, didn't turn out at all like I had expected, which frustrated me a little, but that's the thing about panels; they are living things, and sometimes they go a different way than you expect. I learned something from each one, which pleased me.
I also talked to three people I respect about my current project, and got some encouragement. The 100 pages I have are nowhere near ready for critique, but a little encouragement goes a long, long way. I was able to do the same for a couple of other writer friends. It's that sort of thing that makes it worth it to travel all the way to a convention!