Bloggy Boot Camp Revealed
The morning sky in my valley on the way to pick up Tiffany. So pretty it warrants two photos!
Bloggy Boot Camp Revealed – my valley
It started with a bump on the head. Literally…a bump on the head!
I arrived to pick Tiffany up at her house and while loading suitcases in the trunk of my car, the trunk lid fell and knocked me square in the noggin! Instant stars! Instant pain! Instant headache! Instant lump!
But NOTHING was going to stop us from going to Bloggy Boot Camp Las Vegas! And I mean nothing. And certainly not a nasty bump on the head from an uncooperative car.
In my previous post, Viva Las Vegas, I shared that we were driving from San Diego County to Las Vegas. You can view Tiffany’s BBC post here. I also shared that we had expectations of what our experience would be while at Bloggy Boot Camp and I listed them. I’m here to report the following:
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Bullet Point #1 – check
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Bullet Point #2 – check
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Bullet Point #3 – check
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Bullet Point #4 – check
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Bullet Point #5 – check
In other words, BBC EXCEEDED our expectations on EVERY LEVEL!
I’m not going to take your time and this space to rehash our BBC experience moment-by-moment or tell you what we learned from the speakers and presentations. The speakers were fabulous and inspiring and we learned so much that my brain is still spinning! If you want more info about BBC and future conferences, just click on the link here or on any of the Bloggy Boot Camp or BBC words throughout this post.
What I am going to share with you today and over the next several months, are brief snippets of stories about the amazing women I met and provide you with links back to their blog sites so that you can get to know them yourself. Because of this experience and the many remarkable women I’ve met, I’m starting a new “category” (enough with the categories – we have 53 already!) called “Your Story Matters.” This post about Vanessa takes the place of honor as the first. Stay tuned for future ones featuring other amazing, awesome and awe-inspiring women that I either know or meet along my blogging journey.
First, the award for traveling the furthest goes to Vanessa, who came to BBC LV via Australia! That’s right…I said Australia! You can visit her site here.
Vanessa is a remarkable, beautiful, statuesque young lady with a glow about her, a gentle and engaging personality, a killer Aussie accent, a great smile and she’s whip smart. With a high-powered job in her neck of the woods, her laid-back, unassuming nature hides bits of her life unless you dig deeper. I dug deeper.
I dug deeper and found a 30-year-old woman who, for the last 5 years, has had a pacemaker/defibulator for an extremely serious (and undiagnosed until five years ago) heart condition known as Long QT Syndrome that she’s had since birth. The meaningfulness of the fact that she has had her defibulator “kick in” NINE times in the last five years did not escape me.
My parents, 82 and 83 years old, both have pacemakers/defibulators and these amazing machines are what keep them alive today. I have written about the eldercare journey multiple times in various posts and you can read them here: Murphy’s Law, Many a Winding Turn, The Sunshine Gang, Both Sides of Clouds, A Gifted Man, Running on Empty, Each Other, A Month of Sundays. Since they are 82 and 83, they have had long, meaningful, joyful lives. Vanessa is 30. But, do you think Vanessa sits back and plays the “poor me” card? Not.A.Chance. She uses every opportunity to live life: traveling to new destinations, having adventures, meeting new people, enjoying new experiences.
Vanessa at the Koala sanctuary
And, she blogs.
When you vist her blog, you will see that she is currently “traveling”. Don’t move on because she doesn’t have any new material at the moment. Click on her archives, categories and menu tabs and explore. You won’t be disappointed. I have hyperlinked several of them for you to make your journey easier.
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Here’s her Peruvian story about FINALLY getting a correct diagnosis of her condition.
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Here’s her post about her new pacemaker.
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Here’s her post giving thanks to the many people in her life.
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Here’s her post about a trip to Thailand.
And, here are some of her cooking posts (yes, she cooks and bakes!)
Vanessa frosting a cake
I hope she inspires you as she has inspired me. BBC was the best “bump on the head” that I’ve had in a while on so many levels.
Do you know a blogger with an inspiring story? I’d like to hear about it, so please share.
Here are some photos (all taken by Tiffany except for my valley shot at the beginning of this post) from our awesome trip:
Tiffany contemplating something I’ve said. We talked all the way there and all the way back (6 hours of non-stop talking each way!).
The wet road to Las Vegas
Almost to Vegas. A flooded valley with the mountains reflected. This awesome site was on both sides of the freeway. Apparently, Las Vegas had quite a rainstorm the day before!
View of Las Vegas strip from our room. We stayed in a condo (thanks, Dawn and Jay!) right on the strip.
Las Vegas – on the way to the conference hotel the next morning.
Us at Bloggy Boot Camp with our conference badges!
Bloggy Boot Camp conference schedule, Tiffany’s badge and our business card.
Bloggy Boot Camp session
Bloggy Boot Camp dessert — what women’s social media conference wouldn’t include chocolate?
Me, Tiffany Romero (one of Bloggy Boot Camp’s founders) and Tiffany of TS4T. The two Tiffany’s – what a powerhouse combination!
Cocktail Party viewed through a wine glass
The cocktail party after the conference as viewed through Tiffany’s wine glass. She blasted this out via Twitter and got quite a response. Thanks Mirrassou Winery for being a sponsor!
Las Vegas Strip at night thru the car window – going back to our condo after the conference cocktail party.
A pile of Bloggy Boot Camp business cards collected from our new blogging friends.
Leaving Las Vegas on Sunday – Bloggy Boot Camp Revealed
And one more shot of leaving Las Vegas
What a great trip, a great conference and a great opportunity to meet our new friend, Vanessa!
Tootles,
Related Posts:
(other posts about Bloggy Boot Camp
And she’s off and running….good for you. I can’t wait to hit all these links and read about your new “friends” and their journeys through life. I didn’t open them tonight since I’m packing for my Catalina reunion with the college gang. I’m excited about my trip too. I’m so glad you had a wonderful time, you sure have earned it these past few years. I’ll drink a glass of wine to you and Tiff in Catalina.
Thanks, Dawn. Have a great time in Catalina!
wow it looks like you guys had so much fun.
Yes, we did! Thanks for stopping in, Nicki!
It’s so sweet of you to write about me, and once again, it was GREAT meeting you. Your bubbly personality won me over immediately. And don’t forget that you are an amazing woman, too – you didn’t say much but I have the feeling you have a story worth sharing xoxo (this is where I go read your archives and discover that you already have shared!)
Hi, Vanessa! Thanks for stopping in and checking out our blog. Hope you’ll “visit” regularly until you can really visit us here in San Diego! And, thanks too, for the inspiration that you are!
Oh, I just loved Bloggy Boot Camp too. I went to the one they had in SF. I live in the SFBay area. It looks like you had a great time.
Yes; we had the greatest time! Well worth the 12+ hour drive to-and-from. Can’t wait to go to another! Thanks for your comment.