So I have been a ham operator since 1997. I recently decided to upgrade from Technician to Amateur Extra, so I read though some of the online stuff and took a practice test or two. I went along to the local hamfest and discovered that I had to take the General exam before being allowed to take the Amateur Extra exam. I hadn't studied for the General license at all and failed miserably 
. The following weekend I traveled to Stockholm for IETF75 which gave me a few uninterrupted hours on the plane to read through the General material as well. I got back to VA late on Saturday and went to the West Friendship, MD hamfest on Sunday morning. I wasn't expecting there to be quite so many people taking the exam so I didn't arrive as early as I should have. I took the General Exam and waited for what felt like hours while to was graded. I passed that and thanks to some quick grading by the Laurel VEC team I managed to take and pass the Extra class exam in the last 15 minutes before they closed.
So, I am now a licensed Amateur Extra and have applied for a new callsign, which looks like to will be approved, so I will probably be changing from KC2BOB to AC4WK.