To many, conventions are nothing more than a gathering of greasy nerds in costumes babbling to each other about comic book series or Star Trek, like one big freak show.

But to me, that stereotypical idea of the con scene couldn’t be further from the truth, as being at a convention is something that means so much more than that to myself and countless others.

For the past 10 years, I’ve been a loyal attendee of Anime Boston, the Northeast’s largest anime convention, made up of around 26,000 people annually. Not only that but this past summer I also traveled across the country to Los Angeles in order to attend the country’s biggest anime convention, Anime Expo, which attracts over 100,000 attendees every year.

Attending a convention is no cheap feat either, with tickets going for well over $60 a piece, and travel fares, when applicable, going into the hundreds of dollars.

So what is it that keeps me going to conventions year after year, and even pushes me to spend hundreds of dollars to travel thousands of miles in order to attend new ones? Well, the answer is simple—the atmosphere and community that the convention setting provides like nothing else can.

The best comparison I can make is that it gives the same feeling that a sports fan might get when going to a Patriot’s or Red Sox game with a group of friends. Like with a sporting event, when you’re at a convention, you’re surrounded by people who are all united in a passionate love for the same thing as you. The energy and adrenaline it provides you with are electric.

When I’m at a convention I feel as though I can be completely honest about the things I love, whereas in my daily life I’m a lot more introverted about it. Anime is an interest that’s commonly looked down on by the general public for being “weird” or “childish”, so it can be hard to talk about with other people.

But conventions provide me with the opportunity to talk about anime to people who are like me, without worrying about whether or not they’ll think any less of me for it.

Conventions are also a place to see a wide array of artistic expression, something that I hold in high value. They provide a wonderful opportunity for creators to show off their works to people who they know will love and appreciate it. Massive rooms are set up within convention halls for artists to sell and put their work on display.

While it’s always good to tell an artist that you like their work through the internet, there’s just something that feels so good when you can tell an artist your feelings in person and see the way their face lights up. It serves to reminds you that there’s a real person behind the screen putting their all into their art and that your compliments really mean something to them.

The same thing can be said for people in costume, otherwise known as “cosplayers”. While I’m not into dressing up as characters myself, I love to see the people who do.

It’s amazing to watch them bring these characters to life and see the care and craftsmanship that they’ve put into their costumes for others like myself to see and enjoy.

Usually, people in cosplay are given strange looks or dismissed as being freaks by outsiders, but to me, they’re people who have worked hard for months to show off their passion in a place where they feel most comfortable.

The utmost important reason as to why conventions are so important to me though, and the main reason why I keep going back year after year, is because of the friends I’m surrounded by. I have friends who come from all over the country in order to attend conventions—friends who I would normally never get to see otherwise.

Getting the chance to meet and bond in an atmosphere that brings us so much joy lets us grow closer and value the time we get to spend together. Being at a convention lets all of us unite in something that we love so much and spend time together in a place where we feel as though we can truly be ourselves.

So while some people might look at a convention and only see the freaks and geeks, I’m able to look at a convention and see a place that feels like home.