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Have you ever had one of those busy stretches of time where it seems like you’re home only to sleep and then you’re on the run again the next day? That’s how my entire summer has been. After coming home from the BlogHer ’11 conference, I kept meaning to write my post-conference blog post, but it never happened – until now! One of the reasons I put it off so long, besides the lack of time, is that I couldn’t seem to find any particular words that could easily sum up the intensity, excitement, and overall awesomeness of the BlogHer conference.

I was a bit apprehensive about going to BlogHer without knowing anyone. It seemed like all of the tweets and blog posts I read were about people meeting up with old friends. I even wrote a post about how it seemed like it might be a little like high school. I wasn’t a mommy blogger, so how could I possibly fit in? I couldn’t have been more off base with my thinking! I had an awesome time.

My flight into San Diego was delayed, so I arrived at the hotel with minutes to spare before the opening of the exhibit hall.  I ran up to my room to drop my bags, and this is what I saw. How awesome is that?

The view from the Marriot Marquis and Marina hotel

After making my way through the exhibit hall and picking up some pretty great swag, I went to the People’s Party sponsored by BlogHer. A great big thank you to Colette of Learning to Eat Allergy Free for setting the tone for the entire conference. While getting some food, she invited me to sit with her. Others joined our table, and it was a great night of food, wine, and great conversation. I found this to be a recurring theme throughout the conference. Everyone was very welcoming and friendly. Not once did I feel like I was the nerd back in high school.

At the Newbies breakfast, I saw a table with a number of flat pets on it. I stopped to say Hi and found that everyone at the table was a pet blogger or somehow affiliated with a pet company. I had found my peeps!

Flat pets at the BlogHer conference

They invited me to sit with them at the Birds of a Feather luncheon where like-minded bloggers could gather. Then, they invited me to the coffee and cupcakes event I featured in my Wordless Wednesday post. I had SO MUCH FUN! It was great meeting and talking with many of the bloggers whose blogs I regularly read.

Flat Pets at the Coffe and Cupcakes event

It was a busy few days at the conference, but I did find time to attend a few sessions. The first session was a panel that consisted of  Brené Brown, Mr Lady, and Shauna James Ahern and was moderated by Gretchen Rubin. I’ve been a big fan of Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project for awhile now. I have her book, read her blog, and get her daily emails of happiness quotes. I got a chance to meet her! Anyone named Gretchen can’t be half bad, can she? I’ve also been a follower of Shauna’s blog, Gluten Free Girl and the Chef, for about four years now. She’s always been an inspiration when it comes to eating gluten free. She’s a beautiful writer and has some great recipes on her site. Definitely worth a follow.

Gretchen, Brene, Shauna, and Mr. Lady

The next session I attended was Food Photography That Will feed Your Soul with Penny De Los Santos. I discovered her blog earlier this year when looking for information on eating savory oats. Her photos of a beautiful bowl of oats topped with aged cheddar, olive oil, and salt and pepper, lured me in to her site. I was hooked from the beginning and had to look at all of her photos. When I saw that I’d have a chance to attend her session, I made sure I showed up early to get a great seat. She is an amazing person. I loved hearing her describe the waiting and the lighting and the composition of each of her photos.

Those two sessions, alone, made it worthwhile to travel to the BlogHer conference. I attended others, picked up some great tips for the blog, and met some really fun people. I also attended a private screening of the movie, The Help, and did so much more. How do I fit it all into one blog post? Obviously I can’t, so I’ll have to find time to blog about the other great things I did at BlogHer 11.

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