Hammond, Indiana here.

RobTidwell said
I also plan on making a run to a local grocery store first. 

A bit north of the venue, if you go west on 40 (National Road SE), you'll hit a Kroger a ways down the road in Hebron. Believe it's the closest full-fledged grocery store. There's a fairly well-stocked gas station across the road from Legend Valley, and a few more both north and south on 13.

entrappedmind said

RobTidwell said
I also plan on making a run to a local grocery store first. 

A bit north of the venue, if you go west on 40 (National Road SE), you'll hit a Kroger a ways down the road in Hebron. Believe it's the closest full-fledged grocery store. There's a fairly well-stocked gas station across the road from Legend Valley, and a few more both north and south on 13.

Thanks.

Psyral Infection said
 if there is anyway you can get there a day earlier it will be much better. It'll be very hard to find a good camping spot and you'll miss the parking lot party the night before.

Unfortunately, it's the best i can do and the bus ticket is already purchased. I'm going by myself and I'm probably going to sleep in my car if possible so I'm not overly worried about the camping spot. 

entrappedmind said
Pack a sleeping bag or blanket... If I'm able to secure the amount of space I'd like to, there'll be room for a few FLH faithful at my site.

I was figuring id try to link up with the FLH crew this year...as I AM offically going... If theres space for one more tent in your area that is.

entrappedmind said
As one of the newer guys, I feel almost obligated to make room for ya, Brendan.

That being said, if I get set up where I want to be, I should have plenty of room for a few of ya. Especially if we link up in the parking lot and work together to claim a spot. The more we have, the bigger the spot we can stake out.

I intend to link up as early as possible.  I will be grabbing my tickets as soon as my refund gets here...so i will be more then down for some ninja tactics to increase our space.  My homie and my girl will be with me but will only need space for 2 pop up tents.  In years past when OCJ rolled in force up those parts (before felonies and kids fucked up most of the homies leaving) I used to have to stay with the car to drive it in, but this year Ill put the 50 hours a week im on my feet to good use. Plus Jerome is a 250 mean (looking hes actually really nice) black man people usually have trouble saying no to.  He is 2 for 2 with securing camp spots the previous years ive brought him.  This will be my 8th gathering, but my first at legend valley...so no inside angles unfortunately.

OCJ_Brendan said

I intend to link up as early as possible.  I will be grabbing my tickets as soon as my refund gets here...so i will be more then down for some ninja tactics to increase our space.  My homie and my girl will be with me but will only need space for 2 pop up tents.  In years past when OCJ rolled in force up those parts (before felonies and kids fucked up most of the homies leaving) I used to have to stay with the car to drive it in, but this year Ill put the 50 hours a week im on my feet to good use. Plus Jerome is a 250 mean (looking hes actually really nice) black man people usually have trouble saying no to.  He is 2 for 2 with securing camp spots the previous years ive brought him.  This will be my 8th gathering, but my first at legend valley...so no inside angles unfortunately.

It sounds as though I might have offered to make space for exactly the right dude, then. Heh. As much as I'm stressing about getting "my spot", anybody that helps make that happen will be my freakin' hero for the week. It'll be cool to link up with everybody in the lot this year, too, as that was the lowlight of the Gathering last year because I failed to hook up with both ScottyD and CK44.

OCJ_Brendan said
Finding shade to camp under equates to a comfortable rest time which however limited that may be is crucial to enjoying the week.  If you know of a place that Boxy can show me and J we will do our best to get there and pin it down.  Ive stressed massively about getting my spot in previous years so I get it totally.  If that spot is taken we will just focus on locking down another good one...Im sure itll work out.

Sounds like a plan, and hella appreciated.

Psyral Infection said
Go in without a plan. Bring your own shade (Canopy) is you need it. You can't be disappointed if you go in with no expectations.

I wish I felt the same way. We sort of discussed this a little last year, if I remember right... You and krunk enjoy wandering and meeting folks. Whereas I find the most enjoyment out of chilling in my chair under my canopy and meeting the folks I plan to meet. Under normal circumstances, I'm incredibly antisocial - almost to the point of introversion - so I'm much more comfortable to let the world occur on my doorstep and participate on my own terms. And as far as expectations, I think I've made it fairly obvious that I'm a planner lol. I like to anticipate almost any eventuality, and have a gameplan set to go regardless of the situation. I don't expect you to understand, dude - you're outgoing as hell, and you strike me as the sort that can turn a stranger into a friend with little to no effort at all. I envy you for that shit, man.

Anxiety. I hate that word, because there's so much in my life that's been dictated by it. Hell, if it wasn't for this forum right here, my social anxiety would have prevented me from going to the Gathering last year at all, and even if I had gone, kept me from enjoying it. When we arrived, and I saw everyone parked in the pre-parking lot, I drove past to a gas station a few miles down the road, just to build up the gumption to pull in. Once I returned and parked, and started feeling a little bit more comfortable, we had to pack back up and get lined up to enter the parking lot proper - resetting my internal anxious-meter lol. Once we got parked, the only thing that made me go stand in line to get our programs and armbands was the fact that I couldn't bloody well leave at that point, we were sardine'd in. The whole time standing in line, I was convinced I was in the wrong line - a feeling that only got worse, and worse, and freakin' worse as the hour and some minutes passed. Then I found out that I'd have to do my car pass later, but no one knew where - or when - or how. That one was damn near heart-attack inducing. Finally get told the printout for my car pass, which I arrived with, was all I needed - and I'm fucking convinced the entire night and morning as we line up to enter that I'll be turned away because I fucked something up. Get word that @scottied is waiting for us to collect our shirts, fight through my anxiety to go and find him, and get turned away by @psykoscott because Scottie is down the street getting propane or ice or something. Never get brave enough to go find him again 'til I'm with the entire group inside. Find out @carnivalkilla44 is looking to hook up with forum people, make a half-hearted attempt to go find him in the line, and give up after about 5 minutes because I don't have the balls to simply holler out "CK44!". Get lined up, make our way into the grounds, and loop the place three times (getting stuck 4 times) trying to find a spot, any spot. Decide my efforts are in vain. Decide I'm going to just give up and leave, because by this point, I'm knee-deep in a psychological breakdown. Almost accidentally, I find the spot I wound up in. Unpack. Settle down. Fight with myself about going to the meet-up. Wander to the top of the hill, look down, and don't see anyone that "looks the part". Almost turn around. Go down the hill, stand and the bleachers and try to act natural. Still don't see whatever the hell I expect the folks I was looking for to look like. Almost turn around. Finally work up the balls to ask under my breath "Uh... Faygoluvers...?" Not realizing the people I'm asking all have matching fucking shirts on that SAY "Meetup Massacre" clear as day on them. I found my people. I "know" these people. I can relax.

So yeah. My site turned out to be a glimmering oasis in a desert of broken hope and gut-wrenching anxiety. My site saved half of the Gathering for me. And it turned out perfect. But if I just had the site, if I hadn't known people through here already to meet up with, it would've been a bust. Socially, you folks, and FLH as a whole, was the oasis.

So... There's my story. The whole story. Hell, that could even serve as my belated write-up - because everything beyond that was just gravy. My Gathering experience was all about conquering my anxiety, and how you folks and the relative safe-zone my site represented helped me to do so.

How's that for anxiety, @verytwiztidraven ?