Before I begin covering E3 in earnest, I thought I would write this little journal update about what finally coming to E3 means to me.

E3 has always been special to me. I would celebrate the event at home like a holiday, sitting patiently next to my computer, constantly hitting the refresh button in hopes of some unexpected new game announcement.

I remember thinking that Metal Gear Solid 2 was the pinnacle of gaming technology when it was revealed. I remember raising an eyebrow in confusion when the Nintendo DS was unveiled. I remember the uncomfortable embarrassment that was Sony’s 2006 press conference.

E3 is about seeing the future for the first time. Except for me, it was always done at home, watching live-streams and reading news reports. But it was always my dream to go to E3, to experience the sights, the sounds, and the games for myself. Anyone who knew me even remotely knew of this dream.

I knew an acquaintance from my town who went to E3 in 2006. This boggled my mind. Having someone from the same city as me go to E3 somehow made the idea of going there seem remotely feasible.

Then, just a few years ago, it seemed that E3 was more or less dead. The show was moved from the LA Convention Center to a plane hangar in Santa Monica. I remember a lot of people were initially happy to see the big, perhaps over-bloated E3 go. I was devastated. My dream was more or less killed.

But E3 came back, and now I’m typing this in a hotel just miles away from the LA Convention Center. After years of buildup and anticipation, it‘s almost there. In just a couple of days, I will be walking around the booths myself. No need for photos, videos, or reports.

To put it mildly, I’m stoked.

I’m going to do my best to cover it for you guys. I have some appointments already that I’m pretty pumped for, which I’m sure will give me plenty to talk about. These next few days are sure to be crazy, but I’ll have one more thing marked off the old bucket list once it’s all said and done.