My BlogHer 09 sob story, or Why I Want to Go

BlogHer 09 is coming up in Chicago, and if it’s anything like last year’s BlogHer, I can’t wait!

Actually, I might have to wait. A full BlogHer 09 conference pass costs $300 and a room at the Chicago Sheraton will run $199 per night. So even if I use flight miles for the plane ticket and share a hotel room and eat peanut butter sandwiches round the clock for 3 days, BlogHer 09 is going to run me at least $600. That’s a lot of money for someone who thinks $60 for a family-of-five dinner is extravagant. So I might have to wait another year. Or two. Or three.

Reality sucks, but the Reality is that I Really. Want. To. Go. Last year I had a taste of what BlogHer was like (I attended a couple of BlogHer parties and the second day of BlogHer 08 -- since it was in San Francisco, I didn’t need to book a hotel room, I just hitched a ride up with a friend both days); this year I want more. It was more than just a social event, it was a networking event, a learning event. So much good came out of last year’s BlogHer. I listened to advice from the best in the business. I started relationships with companies that make great products for kids and moms. I figured out what to do with that pesky built-in flash on my camera. I met bloggers that I knew and admired from afar; I made friends with ones I didn’t even know existed. And oh, I did something for myself, for my interests, and for my future.

There, I said it, blogging is my future. I don’t know how big a role it’s going to play – I’m not an important or influential or well-connected blogger by any means, and my expected annual income from blogging remains firmly in the 3-digit figures – it’s definitely going from less to more, and going to BlogHer puts me on the right track. To this, let’s put it incorrectly, stay-at-home housewife, blogging has been a blessing. It has given me an emotional outlet, a way to stay connected with other adults, a renewed sense of purpose and self-worth. I’m enjoying the feeling of making a tiny bit of money from doing this thing that I love. I love it when my kids and husband tell other people proudly, “My mommy is a blogger”.

All is not lost. I’m applying for a BlogHership. I’m joining each and every Win a trip to BlogHer contest I can find on the internet (if you know of any, let me know!). But if I don’t get to go this year, I’ll survive. Maybe I’ll go next year. Or the next. I’ll still be blogging then anyway, so I can wait.

Thanks to Label Daddy and MomDot for giving bloggers like me the chance to attend BlogHer09 !