Coming Soon! Blogher 11!

It's that time of year again.

I start telling  people that I am going away for a week. Of course they ask "where?" and I say, "LA/San Diego" and then they ask the dreaded question, "why?".  I could just say vacation, but I am honest to a fault. So I either squeal off in my minivan before I get asked "why" or try my best to explain what a blog is and why 3000 other of my closest blog friends would need a conference.

Because we are geeks.

My first Blogher confence was in 2009 in Chicago. You can read about my anticipation of it here. Let me just say that my local friends and family thought I was going to an internet convention with a bunch of pedophiles.

Last year, Blogher was in NYC, advice can be read here. By now my friends and family understood what a blog conference was and didn't hesitate to let me go (probably because they knew they would get good presents).

This year it is in San Diego. A far stretch from Cape Cod, but so worth it to see my friends.

I have made Blogher out to be that place where I go every summer to connect with other internet "geeks" like me. These (mostly women) are my friends. I only see them once a year, but know them better than I know some of my friends that live in a 50 mile radius of me. I know what the highs and lows of their year have been, I know who has a new job, who thought about not blogging anymore, where they all went on vacation and all about their kids.

It is also an opportunity to meet new bloggers, get insight into where you want your blog to go and meet with brands like P&G, Chevy, MacDonalds, Playskool, Hallmark etc.

It is a chance to wear the hats you want to wear, not the ones that people in your community see you in. For example, at Blogher, I don't have to be a mom, daughter or sister, shy, an elected official, a nanny, a wedding photographer, a woman mid-divorce, worried about how I am going to pay a bill, worried about who needs what from me that day....

I can just be Sue the blogger (OK, and mom).

Before anyone jumps on me for being ungrateful, I do not mind wearing those hats and enjoy all of them (maybe not the bill paying one). It is just at Blogher I am a writer hanging out with other writers and that is kind of cool. My only responsibilities are staying on my side of the bed (you're welcome Melisa) and absorbing all the fun, laughter and knowledge that I possibly can.

I am truly grateful for the group of bloggers that I have hung out with for the past few years. I am excited to make some new friends this year. I am excited to see the expo, excited to learn new techniques and excited to see San Diego. Blogher is what you make it out to be. I don't know how this one will top the 2 previous years, but I am eager to find out!