This week I will be telling you all about my experience this summer at the Highland Renaissance Fair in Eminence, Kentucky and how I still found a way to be on the outs of it all.
Make no mistake, the people at the Highland Renaissance Fair were some of the friendliest people I had ever been around and I enjoyed every minute of it. This was my second trip there and I had, even more, fun than I did the first time around. Part of that reason was because I was with my girlfriend who was into this sort of thing and it was a real joy seeing the excitement on her face as opposed to my dad and grandfather who may have been there with us out of the goodness of their hearts (love you guys if you take the time to read this!).
However, I still felt like a bit of an outcast, which I found ironic because I was surrounded by people who probably were made out to be outcasts back in high school. Frankly, the people who made them as such can go fall in a hole for all I care but that's beside the point. I looked around and saw everyone dressed up in period style clothing with swords at their waists and some of them wearing forty pound armor complete with a nice big black helmet (which in the ninety-degree heat was both impressive and a little scary).
My girlfriend and I actually planned on dressing up along with them but we had some complications getting her dress done. Surrounded by people who looked like live versions of dungeons and dragons, we felt a tiny bit out of place, to say the least. Despite this, it was still one of the coolest experiences we ever had and ever could have had.
We got to fill up on a giant turkey leg (which had some of the toughest and yet most delicious meat I have ever tasted). We also got to test our skills with the bow and arrow. I almost won myself a free beer by aiming for the beer cup they had sitting out on a hay bale in the middle of the shooting range. Stupid arrow just grazed the cup and didn't knock it down. Then we got to watch a joust with my girlfriend giving constant commentary about the riding skills of the jousters being the horse girl that she is. There also came a mixture of human chess and buying her a tiara because the queen obviously needs a tiara.
Moral of this little story, even though we were both somewhat of outcasts at the Renaissance Fair of all places, the people there were amazing and made us feel right at home and I would highly recommend going to one if you ever get the chance to. There's a place there for everyone.
