Once Upon a Time...in 2014

Once upon a time, way back in 2014, my father introduced me to a television show

called…Once Upon a Time. Little did he know the show would become my new obsession, inspiring a newfound love for the fairy tales I had rejected as a child and an even stronger love for the show's actors. In particular, I fell in love with Colin O'Donoghue and Jennifer Morrison, the actors who played Captain Hook and the (adult) daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, respectively. I loved their chemistry, their talent, and, most of all, their real-life personalities.

A few years after falling in love with the magic of the show (and its actors), I discovered that a company called Creation Entertainment held fan conventions across the United States exclusively for fans of Once Upon a Time. Fans who attended would be able to interact with other fans from across the world, attend question and answer panels with the actors from the show, and most importantly, meet the actors themselves for autographs and photo

opportunities! I eagerly purchased tickets to conventions in multiple cities across the United

States, traveling to Chicago, Orlando, Burbank, and New Jersey multiple times for two years.

One year into attending conventions, a new, relatively unknown actress, joined the cast of

Once Upon a Time, and thus, hopped on the convention tour with the other actors. Rose Reynolds joined the show as a fun, inspiring, and quirky Alice from Wonderland (and Other Places). As soon as I saw her at my second Chicago convention, I fell in love with her wit,

humor, and bubbly personality. One month later in Orlando, I attended the karaoke night at the convention, where the actors shared their talents by appearing onstage to perform with a few lucky fans. Rose was, predictably, hilarious as she sang passionately and danced the night away.

The next day, I met her for the first time in an autograph session where she signed the Alice in Wonderland mouse ears I picked up at Disney World the day before. Five months later, while attending the New Jersey convention, I once again attended the karaoke night, arriving early to get a good spot near the stage. While I was not front row, I was still able to capture Rose's attention and get a smile and a wave.

The next day, I had a photo made with Rose at the beginning of the day and an autograph at the end of the day. After waiting in line for her autograph for nearly two hours, my turn finally came. Even though she had been signing autographs for hours at that point, Rose was just as excited and bubbly as ever. I handed Rose the photo I wanted signed and she looked at me and asked, "Do I know you from somewhere?" Stunned that she recognized me, I excitedly told her that I go to all the conventions, no matter where they are, and always love seeing her. She told me she loved my smile (which was basically my permanent facial expression at that point) and signed my photo. Later that night, I tweeted Rose, thanking her for being so generous with her time, to which she responded, “You light up a room girl x.” Yes, that is the pinned tweet on my Twitter profile.

One month later in Burbank, I was extra early to the karaoke night, determined to get a front row spot. I arrived early enough and was able to stand right in front of the stage. When Rose came onto the stage to perform, she recognized me and came over to greet me. “Hi, babe!” she yelled over the music, to which I replied with a shaky (and giggly) “HIIII!” She then asked how I was, fist pumping the air when I said, “GOOD, HOW ARE YOU?!” She told me that she loved my “PJ’s” before she returned to the stage to finish her rendition of “Ex’s and Oh’s.” The next day, I had three separate photos with Rose, and each time she was excited to see me and gave me a warm hug. She told Colin O'Donoghue, my beloved, gorgeous, Captain Hook, that I had the “best smile in the world,” something that never fails to make me, well, smile.

The last episode of Once Upon a Time aired on May 18, 2018, and the last official convention was held in Burbank in November 2018. Nevertheless, I know that the memories of my favorite show and the life-changing conventions will stay with me for years to come. Rose always treated her fans like we were lifelong friends, welcoming us with a smile and genuine enthusiasm every time she greeted us. I hope that the conventions will continue someday, but until then, I have photos, autographs, and many karaoke videos to keep them fresh in my memory.