On the second and final day of VidCon, an Internet gathering focused mostly on YouTubers, I met up with my friend named Emma. She watched the same people as I did, and an instant bond was formed. We awkwardly loitered in the courtyard in front of the Anaheim Convention Center, discussing the people we had met, seen, or wished to meet. Deciding it would be best to hop in line for Tyler Oakley early, we made our way inside VidCon.  And by early, I mean over an hour and a half early. Luckily we did, because the line was closed ten minutes after we got there. I knew he was popular, but I was surprised at the amount of people who wanted to come meet him. Knowing it would be a long while before the line even started moving, we sat on the concrete flooring and continued to talk about our favorite YouTubers.

            After a few minutes, a girl wearing a navy-striped dress approached us, looking frantic. She asked if she and her two friends could hop in line with us, stating one of her friends loved Tyler Oakley and the line was closed before she could get in line for his meet-and-greet. She told us how the friend was sobbing and how Tyler was the only reason her friend came to the convention. Emma and I agreed, making room for the group to sit down. A girl wearing bright pink pants and suspenders sat down beside me, sobbing violently in relief. Next came a short haired girl who requested we call her “Q” sat down by Emma, immediately pulling out a sandwich and beginning to snack, which she continued doing for the next two hours as we waited in line.

            Thankfully, the line started to move and we slowly followed the snaking curve of the line. During this time, I got to know the three girls. They were all from LA but attended the different high schools, and were just as into YouTube as Emma and I. They continuously thanked us for letting them hop in line with us, even though it wasn’t exactly a big deal. My mother joined us soon after.

            As we approached the front of the line, I could feel the anxiety bubbling inside of me. Whenever I’m really excited about something, usually a concert, I start to feel really ill, so I was trying not to fall over as we moved forwards. But luckily, I made it to the front of the line in one piece.

                        After three hours of waiting, it was finally my turn with Tyler. He opened his arms and I ran up to him, nervous but excited. He was only a bit taller than I was, and that made him seem less intimidating. When we broke apart, he looked very seriously at me before saying, “you look really familiar.” I had met him two nights before in Downtown Disney, and I reminded him of this. Tyler laughed and said, “oh, right, you tweeted our selfie like two seconds later.” Although VidCon rules regulated one signed item per person, I told him that my best friend, Kiara, loved him and I wanted to surprise her with an autograph. He agreed, signing both my autograph book and writing a note to Kiara on a scrap of paper I had torn off of something. By this time, I felt completely relaxed. Tyler gave off a vibe that made you, however cliché it sounds, feel like you had known him for your entire life.

Next up was our picture. Tyler is a bit different from other YouTubers when it comes to taking pictures with fans. Instead of donning a fake smile and standing next to the person, he’ll do poses with the fan and expects them to have it already thought up. I requested a picture of me on his back, and he prepared for me to jump. On the count of three, I was up and we smiled for my mother, who was holding the camera. The moment was over too soon, and I hopped back onto solid ground. I thanked him, and told him I would for sure be back next year to do this again.

Walking away, I knew the moment had been absolutely perfect. I was completely satisfied with the outcome of the meet and greet, and could not wait to come back the next year!