A Girl...

Day One

After a mere four hours in the world's pillowiest bed (flight delay, room service, etc.), I woke and readied myself (i.e., strapped on my semi-impractical shoes) and descended into the lobby of the swankest hotel that ever swanked. Leaving Simon floating in pillowy slumber, I made my way outside to the shuttle stop, prepared for an awkward ride to the conference center alongside already-paired-up strangers who, for all I knew, could become my close friends too given the exchange of site addresses and time, but at that moment were all just People I Didn't Know. There's something particularly overwhelming (exciting and unnerving? unnervingly exciting?) about meeting people in whom the potential for personal connection is vast. We all publish intimate details of our lives on the web.

There are seven hundred and fifty-something registered attendees BlogHer07, and I only know a few dozen by sight, and maybe a dozen more after I've read their nametags. Last year, my first friendly faces in the intimidating sea of strangers-with-potential were the Sweet Junipers. This year, in lieu of the late bus from the hotel to the conference, I split a cab with the first familiar folks I found: Liz, Catherine, and Kristen and Drew, the first two of whom were friends I made at last year's conference, having never read their blogs before they sat down at the table where Amalah was telling me about undereye concealer. So, yeah, right off the bat, it's pretty much everything it was last year, only better.

Better because Kristin's here. And Heather B and JenB, and Helen Jane, who gets an honorary "B" for "bodacious." Right now Sarah from Sarah and the Goon Squad is sitting on the floor three people away from me. I saw Holly at lunch from across the room and DAMN, she is gorgeous. Ariel's hair is still pink, which is convenient, and Jessica is still one of the cutest girls you'll ever see. LeahPeah and I hugged each other and thought simultaneously of Isabel, since she asked us to do so in her absence. I dangled over Sage's stroller with Rebecca Woolf. I sat by Zoot during one session but didn't know what to say besides "Hey! I know you!" and so I just stayed quiet.

I'm making new friends (turns out Aubrey was on our flight from OAK) and missing others. (Kristin and I talked about you, Krissa and Angella and Amanda, and I have with me the scarf you brought me back from Paris two years ago, SAJ.)

It's fun and tiring and overwhelming and I am carrying way too much stuff. (Purse, messenger bag, two swag bags, and a camera OH MY LORD.) Wish you all were here (to schlepp my stuff).