Bring on the BlogHer Freak Out!

I was going to post the video to the snazzy 70’s song Freak Out, but I couldn’t find it. So I posted this one for Super Freak instead. You’re welcome.

Anyways, moving away from that slowly and cautiously…

It seems like the internet is all atwitter with people talking about the upcoming BlogHer conference.

And yes, I totally snickered in my head that I used “atwitter” when people are literally talking ON TWITTER… by gosh I’m just so witty! Or is it dorky?*

Okay, wandering back to my main topic…

I was simply DYING to attend this year’s BlogHer conference for a few reasons:

1. I’m about to launch a professional blog at work and am looking forward to learning more before I make the leap.
2. I’ve had this blog since March 2011 and blogging is one of those things that just makes me so incredibly happy. I want to learn how I can improve/leverage/grow Pocketful of Joules.
3. It’s in New York City and I freaking love NYC!
4. It will be the first time that I’ve been away from Jack since he was born in Mid-February. Which means it is very possible that I may spend an entire day without having [someone else’s] slobber on me!
5. I’ll have a chance to meet a crap-ton of other lady bloggers. These are MY PEOPLE and I can’t wait to be in the same room as other crazies like me!

So I just went merrily along, counting down the days until BlogHer like it was Christmas. Until this week came and the conference is now only TWO days away!

This is where I had my mini freak out which pretty much centered on, “What if they don’t like me?”

And apparently it’s not just me. All across the web-universe strong and sassy ladies are totally losing their crap! There are posts out there on everything from what to wear to how NOT to act and I think I’ve stalked every single one of them.

I tend to get super shy and awkward in these types of situations (or pretty much any situation which has me in a group of strangers), so it’s reassuring to know that everyone else is scared as well. In fact, I recently half-joked on another bloggers post that we should have a “Chicken Shit Meetup” so that we can meet each other without resorting to hiding in bathrooms. In my imagination we all wear pins with a really stupid looking chicken on it (so that we can find each other) and upon recognizing another Chicken Shit Chick, run in slow motion across the room for a full-on movie hug.

Yeah, my imagination is a pretty awesome place to live.

Anyways, if you’re a blogger stalking me before BlogHer – feel free to click around on my site and see if I’d be someone you’d want to hang out with. Warning: I’m shy at first, but then I pretty much spaz out and talk your ear off. I’ve also been known to bust out a wicked cool “school bus driver” dance, so there’s that. **

Here are some posts that I found helpful/informative/awesome:

• BlogHer 2012 Conference Guide
• Stacy Morrison from Filling in the Blanks: What to Wear to BlogHer
• Abbie from All That Makes You: BlogHer Conference & How Did I Lose Confidence in Myself
• Mom 101: 12 BlogHer Conference Tips that No One Else Will Tell You
• Amy from Freaky Perfect: You’ve Got Homework**

There are a ton more posts out there too. Just check out twitter and use #BlogHer12 to search them. I mean, of all the bazillions of bloggers attending at least 90% of them have posted about their anticipation of the conference!

Oh and if you’ve been to BlogHer before. Can you please tell me what a Sparklecorn is? Apparently the party involves glow sticks and glitter which sounds pretty awesome to me…

*Um, so I totally just clicked over to an article that I wanted to link to (the one above about “What to Wear” and realize someone already made the Twitter/atwitter reference. So now I feel much less dorky and a bit like a joke stealer. So all credit goes to Stacy Morrison from Filling in the Blanks. Glad that you’re a total dork like me and let’s totally meet up and be friends!

**In actuality, I probably look more like the lady in the Super Freak video at 3:03. You know, really into the dance, but also looking a bit like she’s going to get dizzy and fall over. Yeah, that’s totally me.

***I totally do not agree with this comment from her post: “People who are confident and secure and professional don’t freak out over traveling to a new place.” There are lots of confident and secure professionals who get anxiety about traveling and meeting new people and I’m totally one of them. I would have omitted her post from my list, but there were lots of really great points. Not to mention, she also talks about her nose hair which makes her a total winner in my book.