Hello everyone! So I wanted to write about my experience meeting Tom while it is fresh on my mind. Please note that this is in no way meant to be me bragging. It’s simply a day that I never want to forget, & I want nothing more than to share it with all of you. Please enjoy!
We’ll start that morning. I didn’t get hardly any sleep because I woke up every hour on the dot to check the clock. I was up before my alarm even went off, so I jumped out of bed & got dressed. I was a shaking mess because I was so excited to meet him & my friends, but surprisingly managed to get dressed properly, so yay!
After getting dressed, I walked across the street to the convention center. My hotel was conveniently right next door, so it took away a lot of stress for me. I waited in line outside for about an hour before they let us inside. While waiting, the staff was really nice & worked to get us hyped up for Tom’s panel that morning. If you couldn’t already guess, it worked.
I went inside, got through security, then waited for about another hour outside of the main stage room where Tom was gonna be. Again, the staff was fantastic & made sure that everyone was having fun while patiently waiting. Once inside, I finally met Aneesa! Ran up to her & gave her a hug. It was so nice having someone to sit with & experience my first con with.
From there, it took about an hour for Tom to come on stage, but the staff kept us entertained by making jokes & playing fun games. It was definitely a fun time from the moment I walked through the doors of the building!
The moment we all waited for finally arrived, but WARNING: I get loud…
*I DO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO THIS MUSIC*
My jaw hurt so much for days after this. I wonder why?
I tried to keep my phone away so I could listen to him, & I’m so glad I did. He said so many inspiring things. One of the things that stood out to me the most was when he talked about how Marvel movies take you away from your real life problems from the time they begin to the very end. He spoke like he understood it from a fan’s perspective, because he was a fan himself. It’s so nice to have someone like him to relate to. It really makes me feel less alone in my interests. Another thing that stood out was him talking about how he learns so much from selfless Peter Parker. I think we can all take a page out Peter’s book, & hearing that Tom does really warmed my heart.
After the panel, Aneesa & I met up with Jules for our group op with Tom. We waited in line for a while, & I couldn’t stop talking because I was so nervous. I would squeal at random times & say things like “oh my God, we’re actually meeting him” & “please don’t let me puke on his shoes”. People may think I was being dramatic, but I really thought I was gonna pass out from excitement on top of nervousness!
Our turn finally came to enter inside of the curtain. When I laid eyes on him, I literally felt my entire body go numb. I gasped & even turned around, not believing that this was it. Again, “oh my God, it’s Tom Holland” slipped through my lips multiple times. Luckily, I managed to get myself together when it was our turn & went straight in for a hug. He greeted me with a giggle.
I greeted him while I hugged him. I imagined him being soft & squishy like Peter Parker, but believe me when I say hugging him was like hugging a cuddly rock. He is BUILT. I stood next to him on one side while Aneesa & Jules stood on the other. They claim they had a full conversation with him, but I swear I remember nothing because I was lost in my own head. All I remember was not knowing what pose to do because I was so starstruck. I ended up placing a hand on his bicep & letting my other hand trail on the inside of his arm. Eventually, when my hand hesitantly lowered toward his wrist, he spread his fingers & allowed me to slide my hand into his. He gave me a gentle squeeze, which explains the deer in headlights look we have below.
Then it was time for my solo op with him. My dream pose to do with him was him putting his arm around me & holding my hand. On a whim, I brought my Iron Man Build-A-Bear with me as a prop. To say that I am absolutely in love with my picture would be an understatement. I’m still so happy & proud of myself for having the guts to ask to hold his hand, because I normally just stand there in shock. But he was so sweet about it & was just so warm & genuine. There isn’t a thing I would change about this photo, & I will always be grateful for how it captures the moment perfectly.
I thanked him, then he thanked me, then I was on my way to pick up my photo. I fell in love with it & posted it on Twitter, where my amazing friends shared their excitement. The amount of love I got on my post really means the world to me. It made the entire thing even more perfect, no matter how impossible it seems.
I spent a little while looking around & spending way too much money on an Iron Man Infinity War Funko Pop before getting in line for his autograph. I stood in line approximately two hours because he was running behind, but he was definitely worth the wait. I brought him my Far From Home Borrowed Jersey Funko Pop for him to sign. I would say that I was fairly calm when I first walked up to him.
Tom: “Hey Heather, how are you doing?”
Then I responded before asking him the same. He told me that he never saw the Funko Pop before & it was really cool. I told him that it was my favorite.
Me: “I just want to thank you for everything that you do.”
*insert long pause because I nearly choked on my own spit & forgot what I was saying*
This was when it really it that he was in front of me, so cue a party inside my stomach.
I felt my face getting so red at this point.
Tom: “Awww, thank you so much. It was so nice meeting you!”
I didn’t want to hold him up because he already looked tired & had a long day still ahead, so I told him that it was nice meeting him as well & exited the autograph area.
After this, I was pretty much done with the con. I was feeling pretty weak from not eating (because I was so excited) & I could feel my anxiety starting to rise, so I left beyond satisfied. Soon after leaving, I got something to eat, then met up with Micaela. She was such a delight to talk to, & my mom & I both agree that she is the sweetest thing! It meant the world to me that she met up with me, & we got to chat about my experience as well as other things.
Aneesa, Jules, & Micaela three of my friends from Twitter. It’s surreal that I got to meet them in person & give them a hug, because friends as supportive as them only exist in my dreams. They made it so hard to go home that next day because I never wanted to leave them. The good news is, I can start getting excited for when I see these amazing people again, & I have the photos as memories until that day comes.
I teared up so many times while writing this, because it truly was such a surreal, amazing experience. People in person don’t really seem to understand the love I have for people like Tom. I go to him when I seek comfort, & to be able to meet him & thank him for being such a huge part of my happiness was absolutely a dream. As cheesy as this may sound, Tom truly does shine so bright because of his kindness & love toward his fans. He didn’t treat us like “fans”, but friends. I truly hope each & every person reading this gets to meet their person someday, whether that’s Tom or someone else, & I hope your experience is just as unforgettable & perfect as mine.
Thank you so much for reading. Please don’t be afraid to reach out to me to chat anytime, because the beauty of being in fandoms like this are the friendships that stem from it as well as the love for things that keep us going.
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