It may not tick me off so much as just sadden and depress me, but I can't go to the Con either.
Throughout last December, I was seriously planning on it, looking at maps of SD and price ranges for air fare and lodging. I chose three hotels to try for (if my first choice fell through, I'd go for my second, and then third). But come January, all those hopes came to a screeching halt. Word of advise to any in college, if you've taken out student loans, pay them off ASAP, and send more than the minimum payment if you can, and send payments on a regular basis. Sending in payments "whenever you can", even if it's more than the minimum required, won't cut it if it's sporadic. They will hunt you down and find you, and garnish your wages. It's embarrassing admitting that, but someone might be able to learn from my mistakes, so I'll say it anyway. It hurts, it truly hurts, it ruined my life.
To make things even worse, this happens to me just as the economy in my country goes "splat". There was just no way, no how, I'd have been able to make it this year.
If I did the math right, my debt should be paid off next winter sometime, so at having money again, hopefully *crosses fingers* I'll be able to make it next year.
So, life will go on. This too shall pass.