To Conference or Not to Conference…

:::You Live and Learn:::

I learned a lot of things when I went to my last blog conference this year. Not all of them were good things, but most of them were. Life is sometimes like a reality show – hey… wait, it is reality. That means going in to situations with expectations isn’t always a good thing.

Random Things I learned from “Relevant 2011” (one for every photo):

1) If you expect to buy a new iPhone to take with you to a blog conference, you probably won’t get it on time. However, upon returning home – it will most likely be on your doorstep. [Just so you know, the camera was totally worth the upgrade – as you can tell from the LOUSY quality of the photos taken indoors without good lighting.]

2) Blog conferences are much easier to navigate without infants along. [Not that it isn’t nice to have a snuggle buddy. But don’t plan to retain much info if you are there with kids.]

3) I still love flying. [I wish I could do it more often.]

4) Learning to say no is important. Learning what your limits are is important. Both are more important than blogging.

5) The weather up north is amazing, but I still love Texas more.

6) Hershey World is REAL expensive.

7) Southwest Airlines doesn’t fly in to Harrisburg.

8) Not everyone you meet online is creepy. Some of them become real life friends – for keeps. [Which makes blog conferences so wonderful: think slumber party gone viral!]

9) White stuff that falls from the sky is called snow. [Ha! Had to throw that one in even though I already knew it. It does snow every now and then down here. Really.]

10) No one will make fun of you if you wear a hat.

11) You can survive tween hormonal meltdown and come out on the other side of it victorious. Even on a long trip. Even if things don’t go as planned. The key? Count your blessings – and PRAY hard. Then trust that He will work things out.

12) It’s good to be home. [That’s something I learn on every trip I take. Trips are cool like that.]

Four blog conferences, one Robotics competition and six or seven homeschool conventions – since 2007.

I’m an event junkie, it seems. And I’ve turned into an event photographer as well (the cherry on top).

Attending conferences gives me encouragement to be better at what I do. That’s the most important lesson to take away. If your soul is refreshed… your purpose is renewed… your “battery” is recharged… then you have come away with something worthwhile.

I won’t be going to Blissdom this year because: baby is still nursing, I have a Clarkson Mom-Heart Conference to attend the weekend before it in Dallas (imagine my 2 year old without mama for 2 weekends and a few week days), there is no money for travel/food/hotel – for 2 adult tickets (because of the “helper” I would need to babysit)… and honestly, I can’t imagine doing another conference with kids tagging along. A teen that was responsible and participating in the gig, yes – but not a baby. Mama is tired and mama is broke.

Believe me, it’s a hard decision when your Peeps are calling for you to come… and I might be a little moody at the end of February (and possibly will avoid the internet all-together for a few days – especially Twitter). However, I’m doing the right thing. Little dude isn’t ready to quit mama’s milk cold turkey… and he’ll be 1 in February – no need to rush him – especially not for a conference. Nor do I think it is possible to be a good photographer while juggling a 25 lb chunk of ENERGY that eats every small item within reach.

Maybe there will be other conferences this year that will fall in to place? We’ll see!

I’m content with waiting to see what sort of traveling plans God has in store for 2012.

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