When the lovely Toushka first asked me, months ago, whether I was going to the Aussie Bloggers Conference, my reaction was “What? Why would I go to a Bloggers’ Conference?”. Why would I pay money to go to something that wasn’t at all relevant to my work? Yes, I had a blog, but it was more of a personal journal than a “proper blog”.
So, I said to Toushka that, no, I wouldn’t be going, unless my situation changed drastically.
Then, a few months later, a few more posts later, as I got more and more involved in the blogging community, as traffic to my blog increased, as I began spending more and more time at work working on my blog, something clicked into place. I realised that, even though blogging wasn’t “a real job” for me and I wasn’t a “proper blogger”, I was certainly a lot more enthusiastic about it than I was about my paid job. I would sit at my desk checking Tweetdeck on my phone, responding to Tweets, following more and more bloggers, tweaking my blog design and learning about “grabbing a button”, rather than rewriting a student handbook or documenting enrolment processes.
Don’t get me wrong, the work that needed to get done, got done. It was just the “over and above” work that I could not get excited about.
So I decided that I would go to this Conference. Just because I wanted to. Just because I could. Just because I wanted to meet in the flesh the women that I had been Tweeting with and whose blogs I had been commenting on. So I booked my ticket.
I had no idea how the logistics were going to work out, but I knew that they would. They always do.
It all came together nicely, I booked the hotel, I booked the flights. Then came the invite to Wanderlust‘s Cocktail Party, then the excitement about the Conference really began to build in the blogosphere in the last few weeks. Then I quit my job! My situation had certainly changed drastically!
And now, with two sleeps to go – I am bloody scared! What the hell was I thinking????
My life may be interesting on paper, but there is a reason I write about it in the comfort of my living room. I’m no good with new people. I can’t talk, I clam up, my words just don’t come out! I don’t have perfectly plucked eyebrows, I don’t get manicures, I don’t have a selection of cocktail or dinner/dance dresses, or shoes!! I live in trakky daks and t-shirts! And I’m OLD!! My best friends live on Facebook!
And I am not a PROPER BLOGGER!!!
However, next year I intend to be fully sponsored…
You're going to spend time in an entire weekend full of people just like you. Relax!
I'm totally brave behind a keyboard! But will be VERY nervous this weekend. I'll be at Kristin's Cocktail Party too, so we can not talk and clam up together 🙂
Not dyslexic at all, Allison. Weird, I got your Tweet just as I was reading your blog…. I want that book…
I am actually curious to see how this plays out. All of us insecure bloggers who can't talk, at a conference..!!!! Hahahaha! I'm glad you'll be there on Friday. And Kristin will be there, so I'll “know” two people…
I'll be at the conference and I'm not scary at all. I'm really looking forward to meeting you and I might just have a Paris notebook with your name on it… 🙂
You might not think you're scary, but in some situations everyone scares me. Plus, I've been told so many times that I come across as “aloof” and “hard”, that I'm scared people will run miles to get a way from me… But, that Paris notebook is defnitely a great incentive to seek you out… See you soon…!
I'm still jumping between really really excited to really really nervous but excited is starting to win over. I can't wait to meet you! See you in Sydney! xx
lol. I have enough eyebrow plucking for both of honey so don't you worry about that. I am pissed that I can't go to Wanderlusts cocktail party though. But leaving the man with the kids for two nights would be torture – I would kill him if he did it to me so I can't do it to him. I am so excited about the conference and so glad that you are going to be there and sharing a room with me!!
I envisage people seated next to each other tweeting each other instead of actually talking! lol
Yes, exactly!
Yay, me too! I know, I feel bad about leaving my folks with my kids for two nights, but it will be a good test for them, too. If it works this time, I might be able to get some longer weekends to me in the future. I hope your eyebrows survive the plucking ;-D.
I'm bringing ear plugs, too, just in case….
Blog posts like yours reassure me that I'm not alone in my blog conference fears!
It's funny, I've been to heaps of conferences in my capacity as a public servant and could always put on my “face” and coped fine. This time I'm going as me…!!!
Can't wait, Tina! I'm really keen to talk to you…
Have a great time. I can't wait to hear what you all get up to.