BlogHer 2011: The conference, the events, the friends

When I hit publish on my first post back in July 2009, I had no idea where Thanks, Mail Carrier would take me.

Would anyone ever read what I wrote? Would I ever get a single comment? How much work was this all going to take, anyway?

Two years later I look back and can only see how much life has changed since that day.

The ups, the downs, the travels, the forums, the ambassadorships, the sponsorships, the friends... who knew that it all was there waiting behind my computer screen?

I've said it before, but the blogging world is a big place. A huge place. A massively large how in the world did I just come across 73 blogs today that I didn't know existed? place that continues to grow and adapt and surprise me every morning when I open my computer.

The number of women out there that have lives and stories and passions to share is always increasing and the knowledge that we can all gain from each other is unlimited. It doesn't matter if you write about food or fitness or eco-living or reviews or your family... what makes blogging great is that there is room for all of us.

Due to the virtual aspect of writing a blog, getting to meet the writers behind so many of the sites that I visit is something that doesn't happen all that often... but when it does, you know it's going to be a whole lot of learning, collaborating, and downright crazy antics. Which is exactly what I expect to happen this year in San Diego at BlogHer '11.

With more than 3,000 attendees gathering from all over the world to share hands-on learning, rich discussions, opportunities to meet with the brands that support them, and plentiful networking opportunities, BlogHer is the conference that reigns supreme.

Last year in New York City, BlogHer '10 opened my eyes to the informative sessions that had me scribbling notes to implement for my blog, making PR contacts of all kinds, public and private parties, and everything in between. I made new friendships, strengthened old ones, and chatted with complete strangers that I otherwise would never have had the opportunity to meet.

And that's exactly what I'm hoping to accomplish this year as well.

Thanks to gorgeous clothing from Tea Collection, I am ready to start packing my bags (what? You think I pack in advance or something?) and thanks to the generous help of CleanItSupply.com and the amazing Invitation Consultants sponsorship, this trip is ready to begin.

I hope to come back with new-found ways to further my blog, whether that be tips on writing, new companies to work with or just having had such a great time that it will have reinforced that this, this whole thing right here that I spend so much of my life on, is worth every minute.

If you're attending BlogHer this year, I hope to see you there! If not, there's always BlogHer '12, right?