Overwhelmed with Love

It is ironic that the week before Valentine’s Day, that I’m so full of love.

I’m in love with blogging.

I’m in love with meeting other bloggers.

I’m in love with blog conferences.

I’m in love with learning from others.

I’m in love with photography.

I’m in love with the Internet.

I’m in love with my family who supports me and my blog.

I’m in love with Orange County, CA, as it doesn’t snow here and I was able to return safely.

As I sit on my Macbook (love) and my iPhone, I see the traffic and the new subscribers.  I see the tweets and pictures.  I’m so filled with love from my former and new friends that I’ve connected with over the past weekend.  This was my second blogging conference in my little blogging life.  I’ve been doing this for two and a half years now.  It is amazing how much I’ve accomplished in the past year, really.

I started my journey on a plane ride.  What a coincidence that I ran into Jim, at the airport.  Jim and I have a shared love of  Monster Trucks and all things Star Wars.  I was already nervous about flying. Perhaps, I may have taken a Xanax.  I was able to chat the entire way without thinking about the bumps along the way.  We met up with Tanis at the airport and I got one of my first giggles for the weekend, her sparkle stick aka her cane.  Tanis recently had surgery, but made the trek all the way from Canada to come and speak this weekend.  We hopped into a cab with some great gals, Brittany and Liz, from  Fleishman-Hillard whom were here for the Tastemakers Potato Challenge.

We arrived at the Opryland Hotel and Convention Center, which was huge.  I was overwhelmed.  I went on the hunt for my roommate, Shannon.  I didn’t realize that the hotel was so big, and that she would be on the far end of this huge monstrosity. I was literally sweating by the time I finally reached the room.  I did not think about sweating in Nashville, because the weather outside varied from 30-40 degrees. I was able to collect myself and meet some old and new friends for dinner.

Laurie from Tip Junkie, Tiffany from SITS Girls, and Sugar from Sugar in the Raw

Look at me, surrounded by beautiful, talented and intelligent women, and one man, Busy Dad.  Each of us has our own skills and talents. How amazing that we were able to all connect through this conference, over a few days, to make things happen for the next few years.

This is why I blog.

This is why I flew across the country to Nashville.

This is why I’m not Angry.

This is why I will go again next year.

Stay tuned for more details about Blissdom in the next few days.  Now, I just need to edit my photos, edit my videos, and think of more fabulous things to stay.  I just couldn’t get enough.  As my friends, Lindsay and Shannon said, “Where is Julie? Julie is with a different group of people every time we see here.” That’s me.  The Ambassador of randomness and friendship, who’s not so Angry in person.

P.S. I wasn’t being snarky at all in this post.  I was speaking the truth.  I will add this to the list of the best experiences in my adult life.  It ranks up there with the firearms safety class I went ton for work a few years ago. But alas, Blissdom can’t compete with guns and unlimited free ammo.

Photo collage made with letters from the The One Letter Pool Group on Flickr.