Jumping In With Both Feet - Heading to Bloggy Bootcamp

I have been blogging since 2008 and over the last few years I have learned a lot from reading, following, and connecting with others. It was not until late 2009 that I learned there was blogging conferences. I felt like a kid with free reign in a candy store. You mean there are other people like me? You mean I am not a super dork? But did I ever go any farther than that? No. You see I am a scaredy cat.

I know, what you are thinking..."You!? Mrs. Monologues there is no way that you can be a scaredy cat?". But yes friends it is true. And that is why I love my blog because I can really be out there as the full person that I want to be in real life. But in real life the funny snarky things that I write on here just sound awkward. People at work even laugh because I can make an awkward conversation that much more awkward. Some say it is a special talent of mine.

I don't do well with meeting new people. Once I meet you I can totally open up and be your best friend, get a couple glasses of wine in me and I am the life of the party, but until then get me in a room with people and I will be the one hiding in the corner looking at her phone hoping she doesn't make eye contact with anyone.

I mean look at BlogHer...how many people go to that? Not only do you have to worry about being cool at the conference, but hope that you are one of the chosen ones to go to blog parties. No thank you. Ugh, it makes me stomach hurt just thinking about it. Then there is Blissdom which has always sounded amazing, but it was still a little to far away from home for me.

Then I heard about Bloggy Bootcamp hosted through on of my favorite sites SITS, and I was intrigued. It has a limit of about 125 people at each conference which makes it less intimidating. So, I debated and thought, and finally today I bit the bullet to attend the Bloggy Bootcamp in Vegas in October. I was on a high for a few hours, and now it is setting in, and I am getting some anxiety.

I mean I am going to be in the same room as some of the blogs that I idolize like Mama Losin' It. I know, so lame, bloggers are just people too, but y'all the thought of being in a room with super-bloggers makes me excited and terrified at the same time. What if I say the wrong thing? What if what I am doing on my blog is completely wrong? What if everyone thinks I am the odd-ball? So many what-if's running through my head.

But what if's are not going to stop me from going. What if's are going to make me go. I want to learn, I want to meet people, and I want to prove to myself that this is what I meant to be doing. I love my blog, and I really need something to reaffirm that. All I can say is thank goodness it is in Vegas because the night before when people are hanging out and after I can get some wine in me to loosen up...yeah kind of like Raj from the Big Bang Theory.

If you are attending the Vegas Bloggy Bootcamp let me know, I would love to connect with you. I hope you all are ready to help me build my confidence as the conference approaches, because right now I am the nervous kid getting ready to enter the new school. I am okay with it. I just need to jump in with both feet.