OK, this post will be quick - or as quick as I can muster. I've been up since 4:30 this morning and managed two short posts on the LA Moms and 50-Something Moms blogs... ridiculously short, when you realize how long it took me. And now, I'm in the Grand Ballroom at the Westin St. Francis, waiting for the opening BlogHer session to begin. And unlike the early conferences, there are no surge protectors on the tables (too expensive now that the conference is so big, explained founder Elisa Camahort Page -- however, the breakout rooms are properly wired). However, as usual, I don't have enough battery power to get me through it... so I have to type fast.
I know it sounds hokey when bloggers blather on about their community -- but the thing that compels me to keep on writing here is the connection I have made with so many incredible women (mostly women), through email and posts and tweets and comments on this blog. I think of these people as my friends -- just as much as my "real world" friends.
Meetups like BlogHer allow me to take my virtual acquaintances into the "real world."
That's why I wasn't too chagrined when Erin had to change her travel plans (I had booked myself on what was originally her flight). That's because I knew my fellow MOMocrat Julie would be arriving at Oakland airport (from Houston) just minutes before me. Sure enough, the moment I turned my cell phone back on after landing, there was a message from her letting me know that she was already waiting for me at my gate.
We had never before met or even talked on the phone -- but after months of daily emails, it was like being with an old friend. We shared a cab to the Westin St. Francis, where the lobby was already filled with more old friends we'd never actually met - and a few we've known since the very first BlogHerCon.
This is the first BlogHer where I've had roommates: The prolific Lizzie and Shannon -- both from the East Coast. So why was I the one who couldn't get to sleep after 4:30 a.m.?
The first thing we did after checking in was grab some lunch - after all, it was after 2:00 p.m. And since both Liz and Shannon are San Francisco newbies, they were looking to me (you know, SoCal native ME) for guidance. Fortunately, this is the land of food and foodies, and we were able to score an excellent meal just across the street. Shannon had a 3:00 meeting, so I dragged Liz on a long walk - which she professed to enjoy until we returned the hotel with sore feet (perhaps trudging to Fisherman's Wharf and back via the Embarcadero was a little bit too ambitious).
It was a gorgeous day: sunny, clear and cold, with a crisp wind blowing across the bay. After a day of being cooped up in a cramped little airplane, it felt good (except for that sore foot thing).
We got back to the hotel in time to hit some of the pre-conference parties. I can't help but remember
the intimacy of the first BlogHer. Was it really only three years ago? I am amazed at how much and how quickly this organization has grown. Back in 2005, there were the official cocktail parties - and that was it. I retired early to my hotel room and had a good night's sleep.
This year I'm not being so sensible. But that's OK. Because there's nothing like being among 1000 like minded women (and a few men) who are as passionate about this activity as I am. It's fun, and as Dr. Seuss said, "Fun is good."
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