[Vol-3]Boston Genshin Pop-Up Store Event 2024

First Blog: Boston Genshin Pop-Up Store Event 2024: A Gamer’s Adventure in Teyvat IRL

Second Blog: [Vol-2] Boston Genshin Pop-Up Store Event 2024: A Gamer’s Adventure in Teyvat IRL

Before I start, there’s an interesting bit in this section—people’s and staff’s thoughts on the event—so keep an eye out for those in the following blog.

Sorry for the delay in writing this… The college started, and I also procrastinated hard. The usual ups and downs. Also, missing the event and the people is a big part of it, and getting sick. 🤒

Day 7:

Like every other day, I went there quickly to get my daily card pulls. This time, I got Xiao and Jean—both cards I haven’t had yet. Then, I met a guy who was interested in ZZZ and started trading with my friends. Since he wasn’t into Genshin, he gave me a Zhongli card for free 😶 (Thanks, brother!). Later, I traded that Zhongli for Navia.

There weren’t many cosplayers that day, and the store was less busy in the morning. The crowd picked up in the evening, making it a good day to talk to people and get to know them. I had some great conversations with staff members and even did more interviews. One of the staff members turned out to be a dancer—that’s so awesome!

For lunch, I took my new friends to Hokkaido Ramen. We had to wait in line for a bit, but chatting about games, careers, and common hobbies while trading cards made the wait enjoyable. The chilly weather made it the perfect day for ramen—the warmth of the soup soothed the soul.

After lunch, we wanted to kill some time, so we went back to Anime ZAKA, where I ran into an old acquaintance. He was surprised to see me, and we caught up. Then, we returned to the Genshin store, trading cards and chatting. My friends bought more stuff to get ZZZ cards.

Some staff members were cosplaying as Wanderer and Katheryne. I also met @cos_gray in her Ellen Joe cosplay, which was amazing.

At the end of the day, three of us went to a bubble tea shop, where we enjoyed some drinks. We also discovered that the shop had a section for cream puffs and was collaborating with Mashle (anime).

Day 8:

Knowing it was the second-last day and a weekend, I planned to go early. But when I got there, there was already a line! Luckily, I was near the front, but still outside in the freezing cold. I tried to meditate and stay strong while chatting with the people I had been seeing daily and exchanging contacts. Some cosplayers were also in line, and I had to appreciate their dedication—it was way too cold.

After about 40 minutes, I finally got inside, free from the cold. For my card pulls, I got Dahiya and Furina (again—at this point, I think Furina has a crush on me). Did some more trading and got even more cards.

As usual, the staff was cosplaying and helping around. There were some amazing cosplayers: we had Raiden(@balletwitchery) and Tighnari(@thetherapywolf) with incredible outfits. My brain was running everywhere—I wanted to take pictures, keep up with my friends’ card trades, and meet new people all at once.

There was also a Venti cosplayer who carried a book filled with all the poems and verses from the game. They were truly enjoying the event, being a huge Genshin fan. Then, I saw another Venti cosplayer—a shy little girl, but it was amazing that she had the courage to cosplay and have fun at the event. Her dad was so supportive and encouraging her, which was wholesome to see.

The store got super crowded, so for a while, no one new was entering. I spent that time talking to my friends, knowing this was their last event before heading home. As we chatted, I noticed a strange cosplay through the shop window. My friends and I tried to guess who it was, since I didn’t know much about Honkai or ZZZ, but we couldn’t figure it out. Later, when the cosplayer entered, he spoke to me, and I realized he was Jacky(@jacky.ha.313) —he had messaged me on Instagram after reading my first blog about the event! That was such a cool moment, knowing my blog had brought people to the store. Turns out, he was doing a fusion cosplay of Diluc × Moltres—super unique and creative! Hats off to his imagination.

Among the “Card Cartel” members (basically, the hardcore card traders), there was a girl I had seen for the last two days. She was collecting Klee cards non-stop. For fun, I kept teasing her by snatching one of her Klee cards whenever I saw her. Eventually, we started talking, and I found out we went to the same university and shared some hobbies. She was a massive Klee fan.

After keeping up my antics for a while, she gave me one of her Klee cards. I asked if she was sure, since I had nothing to trade in return. She said yes, but I didn’t want to take it for free, so I promised her a photoshoot or a meal on me. (The next day, I gave her a Xiao card, but I told her my promise still stood.)

My friends from New York were heading to lunch before leaving, and I really wanted to join them—but there was a female Diluc cosplayer in the line, and I was waiting to take a quick photo before heading out.

We ended up going to Crazy Good Kitchen, a burger place they had in mind. We sat down, enjoyed our food, had fun, exchanged contacts, and bid farewell.

On my way back, I found an amazing Ganyu cosplayer leaving the convention. I stopped her and asked for a photo in the freezing weather. I felt bad, but she appreciated my enthusiasm. She thought I’d just pull out my phone—but then I took out my camera from my bag, which surprised her!

Back at the event, I talked to more people and had fun. There was an incredible Clorinde cosplayer at the end of the day. And how could I forget—I saw someone IRL talking to chat while live-streaming the event!

Day 9 (Last Day):

Knowing it was the last day, I went even earlier, yet I still ended up outside in the cold. I expected a huge crowd since it was Sunday.

One by one, the staff arrived and greeted us. By now, they recognized me and chatted with me. As they moved props out, one staff member injured themselves (not too badly), so I stepped in to help move and set up the props.

I was already missing my NY friends, but I had to continue. I still had a few friends there, and we spent the morning talking. There was an amazing Miyabi cosplay (@alcardia) from ZZZ early on.

Slowly, new faces and wonderful cosplayers arrived. The “Card Cartel” was going strong, keeping an eye out for rare cards. Whenever things got slow, I hung out with them, helping where I could. Also, I had some dried blueberries in my bag, so I shared them with people and enjoyed their reactions—some loved them, some didn’t.

When things calmed down, I took a moment to read a research paper on my iPad. Then, three beautiful cosplayers—Lynette( @mint_cosplayer) Yea Miko ( @sarah_crystall) Kazuha (@bambs_42)—came in. They had just missed the card activity, so I gave Kazuha an extra Zhongli card I had. Later, once they finished shopping, I took some photos of them outside, even though it was freezing. They kindly agreed. ❤️

As the day went on, my heart grew heavy, knowing the event was ending. Two members of the Card Cartel gave me their entire card sets for last-minute trading before they checked out of their hotels. Not knowing much about ZZZ, I did my best to trade wisely.

A kind person even gave me a rare Genshin card made by Bandai in Japan. I also met an amazing Navia cosplayer(@emilygt._.cos) who had a custom-built Umbrella like in the game.

Then, I saw a child cosplayer who didn’t want photos (always respect cosplayers!). They wanted a Childe TCG card, and I had only one copy—which I gave them without hesitation. Their happiness made my day.

At the end of the event, everyone was both excited and exhausted. I realized I hadn’t eaten anything since morning, but as the store closed and people started saying their goodbyes, I got lost in my thoughts. Walking out, I reflected on how incredible the past nine days had been—being surrounded by like-minded people, sharing experiences, and immersing myself in something I truly loved. The thought of it all ending made me a bit melancholic.

Just as I was leaving, I heard someone call my name—it was one of the staff members. They needed some help, and since they knew I was always ready to lend a hand, they asked me. I thought, "Why not?" and helped them one last time. After another round of goodbyes, they mentioned they'd be at Anime Boston, an event I was already looking forward to. And with that, the day finally came to an end.

Aftereffects of the Event

Truth be told, the reason this blog took so long to post is that I was physically drained. It took me 2-3 days just to recover. In that time, my college semester started, and, of course, procrastination kicked in. But beyond that, I felt a deep sense of sadness. I missed the event—the energy, the people, the sheer joy of being part of something so engaging. Now, I was just sitting at home, alone with my laptop, looking at photos, editing them, and reminiscing.

At one point, I didn’t even want to stay home. I just wanted to be out, surrounded by my friends again. Maybe I got too attached to the expo and events, especially since this was my first one. Being an introvert, it felt like a rare moment where I truly connected with so many people. And now, with college starting and uncertainty looming over the next six months—my final semester—it all felt a little overwhelming.

Pros of the Event

• Fun
• Meeting like-minded people
• Learning about new hobbies and interests
• Creating meaningful bonds

Con of the Event

• Limited time

Ad astra abyssosque!

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