Renaissance Festival

Last weekend I went to the Renaissance Festival in Waynesville, Ohio. It is essentially a nerd's paradise, which is why my friends were drawn to it. They were more than excited to be able to see the jousting and costumes. I had less interest, but I enjoy adventures.
We drove the hour and a half to the middle of nowhere. The first thing you see when getting off the highway is a corn field that stretches the last 5 minutes of the drive. At the very last second, an open field is all you can see aside from a castle in the distance. You park in the very back of the field with only other cars to mark spaces. It feels private and exclusive. People come to this place for this reason and that is all. Without this event, this place is empty and alone, but for this one month, this tiny town explodes. There is traffic getting in and coming home, there are people everywhere. Some even have luggage piled into their little car as they travelled all this way.
The ticket gate is a castle with giant walkways and a balcony where the "royal family" stays and greets the crowd. Inside, everyone is in character. Guests and cast alike speak differently and wear accurate dresses and armour. Some wear elven costumes and there was a John Snow look alike walking around; a guest that received more attention than the cast. Everyone was here to express themselves in the most exaggerated ways. They were allowed to explore their interests in a way that everyday society would not accept. They were free and everyone was happy and excited.
My favorite part of the night was receiving my "dragon egg". A geode that was guaranteed to contain crystals.  I chose the smallest one and was allowed to hold my geode while it was split in half. It was sparkling white and had layers of crystals growing over each other. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. It made the night incredibly special.
I wasn't expecting to enjoy the renaissance festival, but it was definitely a worthwhile experience.