Blogher ’07 Wrap-up

I’m in! Happily I was able to figure out my username and password to post on another computer. The first thing I did this morning was order a new power adapter for my laptop from Dell. 1-2 weeks for delivery? Oh HELL NO. My order has been confirmed, so hopefully it’ll be shipped soon so my blogging life can return to “normal”, whatever that is.

I finally got into Bowmanville last night around 9:30 from the long road trip back from Chicago feeling tired, happy, grateful to be home and very proud to be able to say that I friggin’ DROVE to Chicago and back! I’ve been trying to decide if I would fly given the opportunity again. But then I would miss out on road trip fun and seeing little corners of America that I otherwise wouldn’t have, like Flint, Battle Creek, Kalamazoo and Paw Paw, Michigan. I do have some thoughts on those places to share but I will save them for another post.

I spent some time this morning having a look around the internet at some of the posts written by some attendees of the BlogHer conference. Most of the posts have a similar tone and everyone seems to have had an extremely positive experience. I have a lot I could say about the conference in a similar vein. It was completely different in many ways than I expected, and very much bang-on in other ways.

I don’t want to just list and link to the lovely women I met because that doesn’t seem like the right way to go about things. I don’t want to leave anyone out. Instead I’m planning to send a message to those of you who I met and chatted with and shared a cocktail with. I will also post photos when my computer is powered up again.

However, a few highlights must be listed for posterity:

Major goosebumps upon driving onto Dearborn Street, feeling extreme gratitude for the life I lead that allows me such luxuries when so many other people have so little.

Walking into the W by myself, sweating and self-conscious and feeling completely not cool enough to be in a place that felt, smelled and sounded like an episode of Sex and the City.

Meeting a few people who seemed delighted to put a face to the name “Assertagirl.” Very trippy.

Paying nine dollars for a cocktail at the Whiskey Bar at the W. Nine. Dollars.

Talking about art and blogging in the “Blogging is more than words” session, the only session that didn’t somehow leave me feeling just a little bit…icky. (Please note that although I intend to discuss the sessions at a later time, I want to specify that it was not the women I spent time with in these sessions who had this impression on me. Still working on articulating this stuff, bear with me.)

Our very own plate of mixed finger foods, courtesy of the nicest waiter in the entire Navy Pier complex.

Photo booth fun at the Children’s Museum. Maybe someday I’ll get brave enough to actually post the photo strip that resulted.

Riding the Loop on the Chicago subway and feeling very much like I was in an episode of ER. (Two television references and counting.)

I’m sure there are a lot more little points that will pop up in my head over the next couple of days. I feel a little bit like I just didn’t have enough time to interact with as many people as I would have liked to. Sometimes so much social time can be overwhelming, which is why I spent most of the Friday evening cocktail party in a far corner of the rooftop. That, and it was near the bar, and the finger foods just kept coming.

I have an idea for a panel next year, but obviously there is plenty of time to think about that possibility!

Anybody want to plan a meet-up in the Toronto area before the weather gets cold? Also, if any of the Toronto bloggers I met (or haven’t met yet) end up coming out this way, drop me a message! I’d love to get together.

(Oh! Oh! While I was gone Graham got a job as a carpenter’s apprentice! He started yesterday. We are both very happy to see some of our life’s plan coming together. Being out and away from my home has allowed me to see how special my little corner of the world is. I love it here.)

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