I have been drowning in work since I got back from BlogHer '10 in New York that I haven't had time to write anything. Seems like my client's can't handle me taking 4 days off! But this weekend Princess D is with her dad and The Boyfriend has his Terror, so I have some time to quickly write this post before the puppy wakes up from her nap and wants to play. So, here is the good, the bad and the ugly about BlogHer '10 ...
THE GOOD
The Boyfriend is not, I repeat NOT, a blogger. I introduced him to Twitter and have to remind him to check Facebook. Having him come to BlogHer '10 was a HUGE deal for both of us! He has always been very supportive of my social media obsession and is really curious about why we do what we do. Most of you know I only get to physically see him about 20 days a year, so this was of course the was the BEST part about the trip. But, what made him coming on this trip even better is that he got to meet most of my online friends. He even enchanted every mommy blogger he met with his British accent. I have to give him the Boyfriend of the Year Award for wearing a picture of Miss as a mask at the CheeseburgHer Party! It is things like this that make me love him more ...
The second good thing about this trip is seeing friends ... some I get to see every couple of months, some only once a year at the BlogHer conference, and some I have never met face to face. These people provide an incredible online network and support system. I learn from them. They challenge my thinking and creativity. They have opened my world up to more opportunities. They are why I go to these conferences.
Then there is the conference itself! This is my second year attending the annual BlogHer conference, so I can only compare this year to last year. This year the expo was HUGE ... 2 full floors of vendors! The parties at the conference location were bigger. And, there were suites to visit. But this also leads me to ...
THE BAD
The conference was almost too HUGE. There were events taking place at other hotels nearby the conference location happening at the exact same time. There were sessions that were happening at the same time forcing me to choose because there were not repeated at another time. There was so much SWAG to bring home I had to check an extra bag AND ditch some stuff. And, I only saw about half of the people I wanted to see.
I know I see her about every other week and she is my BFF, but I didn't get to see Miss experiencing another BlogHer conference with me. She was supposed to come this year. In fact, we had made all of our plans (flight, apartment rental, sightseeing) together with our boyfriends ... a double date long weekend. Sadly, about 2 weeks before we were to leave she found out that her new job wouldn't let her go. One of the goals for attending this year as to introduce our new blog 2 Hot Bloggers + a Bottle of Wine. I represented both of us, but made sure she wasn't forgotten.
THE UGLY
I never would have chosen to go to New York in August. I don't mind heat, but I hate humidity that can't be relieved by a nice tropical ocean breeze or a dip in the sparkling clean Pacific Ocean. What makes New York humidity even worse is that the thick air is mixed with dirt and exhaust that sticks to your skin, hair and clothes leaving you with a black film that I washed off every time we got back to the apartment. A day of walking blocks and avenues sightseeing and shopping then going down into the inferno New Yorkers call a subway station pretty much takes a year off your life. Have you ever seen what happens to Whitney Houston when she sings? Within 5 minutes of a song she is sweating so much it is dripping down her face and neck ... that is what I looked like every time we were in a subway station. It's not sexy or even remotely attractive. The only thing I can say about New York summer humidity is that it makes a decent sunset.
Along with all of the SWAG, I also brought home a not so pleasant stomach infection and must have given it to The Boyfriend (and I heard other's got too). Neither of us were able keep anything in our stomachs for 5 days. The stomach cramps and fevers were almost as intolerable as the New York humidity. I still don't know why we got it, but I am going to blame it on all of the food sampling at the BlogHer '10 Expo.
In the end it was worth the trip! So, will I do it all again next year? You bet I will because BlogHer '11 will be here in my hometown ... SAN DIEGO! No getting up at the crack of dawn to catch a flight out of LAX! No hotels or apartments to coordinate roommates with! No worrying about how to bring home all of the SWAG! All of the money I get to save I can put towards a full conference pass! So stay classy San Diego ... we have a conference to host!
