I have had the pleasure of partaking in two in theater movie marathons in my life. Both were pretty opposite on the length spectrum.

There had been rumors of a Star Wars marathon leading up to Episode VII. Fast forward to when it all started on October 19th This was a trying evening. The AMC website was not even remotely ready for the stampede of Star Wars fans. It took us two hours of obsessively reloading and using multiple browsers before we finally secured our two marathon event tickets. Needless to say, it was worth it. The hype at the time was unbelievable. Right when we finished our purchase the trailer debuted on TV. Let me tell you, that trailer got the juices flowing. If you didn't get super amped after seeing that, you were a lost cause. If you need to be reminded of its epicness, watch it again:
The original trilogy was somewhat hard to get through solely based on how sleepy I was. At that point I had been awake for roughly seventeen hours. I would be lying if I said I hadn't dozed off for five or ten minutes here and there but mostly I stayed strong. Seeing this trilogy of stories that I'd seen a hundred times on the big screen for the first time was a very cool experience. A few parts that stood out to me: the brightness of Tatooine and the depth of the trenches of the Death Star in A New Hope; Hoth and the Duel on Bespin in the Empire Strikes Back; and Endor in Return of the Jedi. It was like visiting these planets unlike I ever had before. In particular, I felt like I had waited my whole life to see the beautiful scene of Luke and Vader fighting in TESB. It is something I'll never forget, it made me feel like a kid
After the originals finished up you could feel the buzz in the room. After years of waiting we would finally get to see Episode VII! The hour and a half in between Return of the Jedi and the Force Awakens crawled by. We crushed some Five Hour Energy, they probably don't work but whatever. Up to that point we had been taking caffeine pills and I was waiting for me to have a full blown Jessie Spano breakdown...
As anticipation grew the chatter from the others in the room began to build. When the lights finally dimmed and the familiar Main Title began to play, it was like coming home. All of the fatigue we were feeling vanished and we were immersed in the universe that had been kind to us for so long. The crowd was tremendous. We cheered, laughed, and cried together while hanging on each moment. I'll never forget the thunderous applause when they showed the Millennium Falcon for the first time. The reality of it all now, is that I absolutely adored the Force Awakens. While it is blasphemy to many, it is probably my favorite of the saga. (My ranking is for another time.)
We would go on to see TFA nine times! We actually got three viewings in within the first 24 hours. Laying in bed at the hotel that night, basking in the awesomeness of the movie, we got on fandango and bought tickets for 10:20 early bird showing the next morning even though we knew we had tickets for that evening at home with family. But that is what it was all about for those few days. It was a state of being.
I've found myself going back to those few days in my mind lately. It is strange to be so nostalgic for a time only four months ago but I am. It was like being in your own world for a few days full of excitement and hope. I truly recall that long weekend as a life event, one that I'm so happy to have shared with my wife. It was her time seeing any of the Star Wars films in theaters. It is unbelievable to have someone to share your passion with, someone who respects them. I close my eyes and I see us driving back from Jacksonville, drinking some DD iced coffee, taking back roads home to enjoy the Florida scenery and discussing what lies ahead. Who is Rey's parentage? Where will this saga take us next? We wont know for awhile, until Episode VIII and IX are released and the trilogy wraps up. What I do know is that I'm excited for this quest to continue and to be a part of it.
BIO:
Kaitlyn Mason is an aspiring writer who is finishing work on her first novel. Beyond writing fiction, she loves to write essays and blog posts on wide spread cultural topics. The films of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas have had an immense impact on her life and ambitions. She hopes to bring a critical and enthusiastic approach to her contributions on thebeardedtrio.com. When she isn't writing she enjoys watching baseball and reading.
Kaitlyn can be found on her blog (bb-k8.com) and twitter (twitter.com/kaityballgame. Feel free to say hello!
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