Paradise City Comic Con took place this weekend, January 12-14, at the Miami Airport Convention Center.

I have always wanted to go and now I finally have! I went with the intention of seeing Actor and ultimate hottie, Gregg Sulkin – whom I have fawned over since Avalon High and Wizards of Waverly Place – to my surprise, I got so much more.

Paradise City Comic Con is more than just an excuse to dress up, It is also…

• A Bonding Occasion.

My sister and I had some quality, sister bonding time at the event. We gushed over Gregg Sulking, burst with laughter at the Stranger Things Cast Q & A, did some guilt-free shopping, brainstormed our future comic con costumes, and debated what Hogwarts house our favorite television characters would be in. I am grateful my first time at comic con was with her. It was nice to see families at the event – Mothers and Fathers taking an interest and sharing the experience with their children.

• An Opportunity to Meet Celebrities.

As I mentioned before, we got to meet Gregg Sulkin. He is as beautiful on the inside as he is on the outside– and OH, the British charm! Once we told him where we were from, he referred to us as beautiful Miami girls– I thought I would melt into a puddle right then and there. We got to speak with him for a good portion of time (his manager referred to it as 7 minutes in heaven). We even discussed how he went out to the Wharf the night before and how the ladies made fun of his dancing skills– for the record, Gregg, I would never do such a thing! Although, I must say there is a price tag attached to these meet and greets. It was $40 to take pictures with him and $60 with autograph included.

We attended the Stranger Things Cast Q&A with Randy Havens (Mr. Clarke) and Peyton Wich (Troy). It was a thoroughly enjoyable and interactive experience. We cannot wait for the new season!

There were plenty of other celerities in attendance, including but not limited to: Pilou Asbaek (Game of Thrones, Ghost in Shell), Erik Estrada (ChiPs, Adventure Time), Virginia Gardener (Runaways, Glee), Shazad Latin (Star Trek), Jaeden Lieberher (IT, St. Vincent), Terry Farrell (Star Trek), Ryan Sands (Runaways, The Wire), Michael Nathanson (The Punisher, Wolf of Wall Street), Chosen Jacobs (IT, Hawaii Five-0), Wilson Cruz (Star Trek), Wyatt Oleff (IT, and Guardians of the Galaxy), Andy Dick, and Jeremy Ray Taylor (IT, Geostorm).

• A Place to be Yourself.

A prominent theme in comic con is self-expression. Everyone has the creative liberty to dress however they like without judgement– no criticism if you don’t dress-up either! It is refreshing to see such a positive and passionate atmosphere.

• An Event to Make Connections.

You will meet all types of people here– people who share the same interests and people who can help move you in the right direction. It is important to be be open and receptive, along with being an active participant.

• A Valuable Learning Experience. 

Our perception of the Hogwarts Houses were forever changed during the #SMP Presents: The Common Room. We came to the conclusion that Jon Snow and Eleven are Hufflepuffs and Katniss Everdeen and Rick Grimes are Slytherins– and those are just to name a few. I still know I am a Gryffindor though!

I gained valuable creative writing insight at the Aspects of Creative Writing workshop with creator of Grace Flynn, P.L. McCall. I now feel more motivated to finally write and expand on some ideas that I had been sitting on.

My super hero obsessed sister and I giggled and gasped at the Super Hero Fact File: The Worst Super Heroes of All Time. Lets just say, there is a super hero based in Miami whose power has to do with Santeria… It is astonishing that these heroes were created– could they be a product of exhaustion, drugs, alcohol, or some type of combination of all three?

• A Chance to Win Free Merchandise 

The CW had a booth at the event. If you sign up with your phone number and and email address, you could win free stuff! My sister won twice– She picked out a super hero t-shirt and let me pick out a Modern Family cup.

• An Event for Exclusive Products.

My sister bought a Thor Funko Pop and I bought a cat ring that doubles as a weapon. At Paradise Comic Con you can find costumes, reasonably priced comic books, props, art work, t-shirts, unique patches, and much more. Be careful, you will spend money!