BlogHer Part 2 - The People

Me with WhyMommy and Canape (and the delicious Canape Jr.)

The best part of BlogHer was meeting all of the wonderful writers and positive people in person that I have connected with online. It was an intense experience, with over 1,000 online personas grouped together as real bodies under one roof and surrounded by a blitzkrieg of marketing. I found it all very overwhelming.

I tried my best to learn and enjoy the intense focus on this activity of blogging. I would have been completely freaked out by all of the vendors and glossy marketing and craziness and sheer numbers of attendees, if it weren't for the genuine, incredible individuals I met. These women's writing and presence reminded me that we all attended BlogHer to celebrate this way that women can express themselves.

First off, the DC Metro Moms are truly fantastic people. I am utterly in love with Tech Savvy Mama, Why Mommy, Sandie, Jean, Kristin, Amie, Kimberly, Vicky, Joanne, Jeannine, Mama Bird and Andrea. It took going all the way to SF to meet my neighbors KC and Jen Lemen and Odette, but I was happy to jump over all pretense and tackle them with hugs and force them to hang out with me. I was stoked to meet SV Moms Group contributors from all over the country like Liz, Lia and the amazing Canape.

I had great experiences meeting new people. Jill Kroog is dynamic, Isabel Kallman is down to earth and kind and as awesome as I expected, Liz Henry was the coolest, Laurie K. is an inspiration. In fact, Laurie, WhyMommy, LoveBabz and Flutter's session, Blogging Communities As A Healing Force with Susan Wagner moderating, was my favorite session of the conference. These four artists are offering their struggles to the community so we can learn and they can gain peace and strength. Their blogs teach us and we are the better for them.


With Laurie K.

I also met the most famous of bloggers, Heather Armstrong and her husband Jon. I was walking through the lobby with Leticia an hour after the closing keynote and saw the Armstrongs standing in the lobby. After years of living in Washington and serving as the personal assistant to Senator Feinstein, I've met President and Senator Clinton, toasted Chris Matthews at a pub, danced at an inaugural ball, run alongside George Stephanopoulos at the gym and chatted with my fair share of persons of fame. I've also learned that if you see someone well-known that truly inspires you, you should let them know as long as your intention is to give and not take.

So I told Heather thank you for inspiring me to write, and for helping to pave the way for women that are yearning to work as writers while serving as the caregivers of their children. She was completely gracious and open and engaging. She asked me and Leticia about our own writing and children, and did not let us scamper away with the ring and run thank you. She was great.

And just as it was special for me to meet Heather since she blogged her daughter's pregnancy while I was expecting my oldest, it was excellent to meet Cecily, who was pregnant with her daughter while I was expecting my youngest. Cecily and Sarah were extremely kind and fun. For me, it was a cool experience, albeit one-sided since I did not blog my own pregnancies, to meet women that gestated online along with me. That big smile I'm wearing below? It's for our little girls, that came so far and bring us so much joy.


With Sarah and Cecily

So there's my recap of BlogHer 08. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming. Family and DC-centric posts resume tomorrow.