BloggedHer

I can't even fully process everything that I'd like to write down at this point, which may or may not make me an adequate keeper of a blog.

Just, all I can say is that the days since Thursday have been a wonderful blur of everything good, except for a hotel room that I don't enjoy (see post below containing the Saga of the Open Door.) I cannot remember having a better time clothed. (Were you waiting for a smiley face or some shit like that? Some things I totally don't joke about. For real.) Blogher was amazing. It was everything glowy and good that you may have read about or experienced if you've arrived here from that part of my world (and if you have, rock on! I'm glad you dropped by! And why am I all of a sudden exclaiming when I normally despise the overuse of exclaiming? Curious.) And if you came here otherwise and don't know what in the world this Blogher is of which I speak, just know that it is most excellent,and the snacks were overwhelmingly adequate.

I wasn't really sure what to expect at this conference, but it honestly was not to have such a wonderful time. I'm in a field where conferences equal ten hour days of workshops and lectures and poster sessions and roundtables on seriously DEEP THOUGHTS...where heavy stuff is piled on top of heavy stuff so by the time the day is over you're just beat. This week was so, so different.

At this event, I felt energized. From literally the hour I arrived, I met cool woman after cool woman, all who write or somehow keep a record online about their lives, their communities, the social issues they care about, politics, art, food - everything. Literally everything, and they really want to tell you about it.

I'm having trouble describing this in a way that isn't sort of overwrought and dramatic, because at times I felt like that. It was nice to know that other people were feeling and experiencing the things that I sit and think and write about at 2 a.m. in my basement, feeling freakish. It was great to meet people whose sites I read and find that they were just as excellent in person. I liked meeting "mommybloggers" and women whose dogs are their kids about equally. I loved being on the podcasting team, and when I've found the link, will tell you what movies to go see our leader Toy in (she doesn't keep a blog, by the way, but she's promised to take a peek at mine now and again.) I'm going to post very soon a list of links to some of the great women writers that I met.  I think they should get as wide an audience as possible.

Today I went with some new friends to San Francisco, and I truly wasn't there long enough (only sorry that Lauren had to leave - good times were had!) Melanie Morgan of New Media Collective took the Caltrain in with me, and then we grabbed a bus to Chinatown. After a yummy dim sum lunch, we found the cable cars and rode to Fisherman's Wharf. We met up with Brittany and Ryanne there, the goddesses of videoblogging, and walked around and took pictures and met people...and ate some more, and shopped a little. I can't wait to go back to this beautiful city. I know I saw about twenty percent - maybe - of what I'd like to see.

I know I'm leaving stuff out. I'm tired.

Tomorrow I go to Santa Cruz, so I can see what  Cali beach town is like. Given my love of the ocean, this is of course very crucial comparative geography. I'm home on Tuesday at midnight, and work beckons almost immediately (oh lord please help me now), but there's so much I want to detail - so many interesting and talented women I need to link to - I'll need an extra day next week to catch up.

Many, many thanks to Lisa Stone, for allowing me to sign on as a travel and recreation editor for Blogher. I wouldn't have had this experience if it weren't for you. You're one of my American idols, that's for sure.

More about all of this later, but I'm so tired.

Comments

[Lauren Perdue]

Psh. I totally belong on your Blogroll.