HangovHer

People were blogging about BlogHer yesterday. People were blogging about BlogHer AT BLOGHER! If I went with my instincts, I would be blogging about BlogHer a week from next Thursday at the earliest. I am WIPED. I keep waking up at 4 a.m. and wondering where the hell I am. I nearly started sobbing in the grocery store today when I couldn't find the plantains. I beam loonily at everyone I see and wonder why they don't seem to find me delightful like everyone in New York did.

There are a lot of reasons to go to BlogHer. Improving or Tightening-the-focus-of or Monetizing or Branding your blog are certainly among them, but they weren't among mine. I bought my ticket on a whim last summer when Marilyn said I didn't have to be 'more serious' about blogging to go to BlogHer, I could just go and hang out in New York with some girlfriends (and that she would room with me), and I consulted my husband and he was for it. After buying the ticket and booking the flight, I went into a kind of denial about the whole thing.

When I got to the conference and looked at the list of sessions, I felt a bit like I had missed the boat in a way. I wasn't sure if I should have done a little more research or thought a little more about what I could get out of the sessions. Some of them were pretty far beyond me. I decided not to sweat it and went to the two that really appealed to me, on the grounds of subject matter and people leading the discussion: Blogging for the Love of it with Bon Stewart, Alexandra Rosas and Dorothy Snarker; and Room of Your Own/ Blog2012 A Conversation with Schmutzie, Laurie White and Neil Kramer. Both sessions were wonderful - inspiring, moving, funny and completely enjoyable. I also went to all the keynotes and the opening and closing. I don't have a lot of experience with conferences and a lot of it was quite overwhelming, but also great, and new, and utterly different from my everyday life, and fabulous.

At the end of the conference, Marilyn and Amber asked if I felt like it was worth it and if I would go again. I was spacy and tired and we were in a loud room and I was rambling and she was squinting at me uncomprehendingly and finally I said I was trying to ask if they thought it was legitimate to go to BlogHer just because it's fun. I don't feel like my blogging life is revitalized now or anything, but the warmth and energy of that many people who are passionate about the same thing being in the same place is really quite something. Being able to meet and squish people I've only known online for months or years was fantastic. It turns out that people who are awesome on the internet tend to be awesome in real life - I like that this is something that I know now. So yes, I think even if I never got anything more out of future BlogHers than I got out of this one, I would go again. Because it was big glittery buckets of fun.

I loved the Katie Couric and Martha Stewart interviews, even though I've long had a faint knee-jerk dislike of Martha Stewart. Voices of the Year was amazing. I know what The Suniverse and Aurelia Cotta look like now. The Empress recognized me! (well, she said 'Biblio.....something, right? and that's GOOD ENOUGH, PEOPLE, it's the GODDAMNED EMPRESS!). I drank fabulous drinks on a Manhattan rooftop. I danced my ass off with Beach Mama (although it's somehow managed to find its way home, dammit). A gay man in Central Park said my hair was fabulous and he'd turned straight for the thirty seconds it took him to walk up to me (yes, he was collecting money for charity, but I'd only given him two dollars, so...)

It was great. I'm still processing. I'm so tired.


Comments

S said…
glad to have met you in person! xo
BeachMama said…
Having you there to share NYC and Dance and party with was such an amazing bonus!!!! I am so happy you came, we all have our own reasons for you going and as long as you had a great time that is all that matters :)

Cheers!!
Sasha said…
What??? You can go JUST FOR FUN?? Even if you're not a "serious blogger"?

WHY DOESN'T ANYONE TELL ME THESE THINGS???
Mary Lynn said…
Yay for squishing people in real life! That's the main reason I want to go to Blissdom, too. Clearly. Since I don't even freaking blog anymore. (But maybe meeting people in person and squishing them will make me want to blog more? Oh who knows...)
Shan said…
I have a sneaking suspicion that if I were to go, my experience would be just the same. Squishing people in real life is awesome though and worth the trip! Also being with a bunch of people that get what you do is great. I don't hang with very many bloggers IRL. Glad you had fun.
Anonymous said…
Of course you were fabulous! And of course gay men love your hair!
Nicole said…
If I were to go to a blogging conference, it would ONLY be to have fun. I don't know, I can't see myself branding or monetizing or tightening my focus or what-have-you. So yes, totally legit. I'm jealous! It looks like fun.
Magpie said…
it's all about the fun, honey. :)

so glad to have met you!
Ado said…
Hi ya, and thanks for taking pity on me and Liking my FB page. You are the 500th and I'm going to feature you on my blog www.themomalog.com sometime next week (if you want!). Email or message me one or two paragraphs on who you are, what your blog is about, your top 3 fave posts, and a photo (your twitter/url/FB info) and I'll get you up there. Thank you so very much for Liking my page! (-: Too bad I didn't know you before blogher! (-:PS: Loved this post. So glad you had a nice experience at Blogher.
NatteringNic said…
So happy you had "big glittery buckets of fun!" Hope you're rested up!
Finola said…
Now I wish I had gone just so that I could have squished you.
Amber said…
I recognized you in one of Amber Strocel's photos, does that count? I'm so bummed I didn't go! What next, Aiming Low's Non-Conference? I imagine that one would be particularly fun in a different way. Though what do I know, I've never been to any of them.
Kim said…
I am so glad you wrote this. Sometimes I get so weary of the constant talk about monetization and growth and stuff, and it makes me wonder why I still pay my hosting every month. But I have read the hashtags for both Blog2012 and For the Love of It and they were exactly what I would have wanted to see in person.

And you already know I'm crazy about your hair!
StephLove said…
See, I knew not everyone would dislike you. Sounds lovely.
Pam said…
Sounds so amazing. I'm looking forward to hearing more in person at a non-conference with cupcakes and squishing you too while I simultaneously admire your hair (tho I know it means less b/c I'm a straight female).
Wrath Of Mom said…
I use to not like Martha Stewart until her daughter achieved fame and notoriety and then I decided to not like Alexis -- who is a huge pill and whose children have awful names -- and instead to like Martha and feel compassion for her because she has such a drippy daughter. So I would have enjoyed her talk if I'd gone to BlogHer. But let's face it: I'm never going to a blog conference because I have pissed off far too many people. Pissing off people is my personal big glittery thimble of fun! Damnit!!!!!

Why were you buying plantains?
Alexandra said…
Ah, it goes TOO fast, doesn't it?

And you LOOK JUST LIKE YOUR AVI.

Thank you for that, Biblio.

It was a very, very surprise to suddenly be standing next to you.

Out of 5,000, how did that happen??

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