katamari "ellen" j kaplan ๐Ÿ’• kat or kata for short ๐Ÿ’• bi, polyam, trans, writer, devrel nerd, coaster enthusiast ๐Ÿ’• 30~
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dev support lead @discord ๐Ÿช„ opinions โ‰  my employer's

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wife @jkap ๐Ÿ’• aqua suit by craftycovenco ๐Ÿ’• #pluralgang ฮ˜ฮ”

last.fm listening


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i cried on my way out of the park last night because of how wonderful day 1 was. i needed this so fucking badly. there are so many weird gay autistic people here, including a ton of little autistic kids who are all about roller coasters like i was, and it just fills my heart with so much joy. all of the people here are complete nerds who have strong opinions on B&M vs Intamin and i-box vs topper track and itโ€™s just fucking wonderful.

i had a half hour long conversation with a career photojournalist who has been volunteering at ACE events from the beginning. we talked about the ins and outs of her work, the state of journalism as a whole, and how to get incredible coaster shots. we met fellow arrow geeks and other trans enthusiasts and ACE lifers and theme park industry professionals and folks who are brand new to the hobby. we sat behind someone for whom big bear mountain was their 600th credit, and cheered for them when the ride stopped. we chanted โ€œfind the bear!โ€ alongside a train full of nerds as they got dispatched. we went on a weird little kiddie ride with a bunch of other grown ass adults and made the ride op crack up while screaming like we were dying.

we ate barbecue and little mini cakes. we had trifles and dinner rolls and some of the most delicious grits iโ€™ve ever had. we walked 6.93 miles on a sunny smoky mountains day through some of the most beautiful landscaping iโ€™ve ever seen. we rode a WWII-era coal-powered steam train through the park and back into a densely forested wilderness and marveled at the beauty of the appalachians.

thatโ€™s just day 1. i cannot wait to see whatโ€™s next.


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