SITS San Diego Bloggy Boot Camp

I'm back home from my SITS Girls Bloggy Boot Camp in San Diego.  Brandi and I had a blast!  We were surrounded by positive and supportive women.  We asked for each other's business cards, shared resources, and offered suggestions.  We tweeted, retweeted, laughed, and even cried.

Brandi and  Me

You know I couldn't have a vacation without a little drama.

After the first presentation I realized I forgot my business cards in my suitcase.  So,  I ran, yes ran, back to the room to grab them.  Did I mention it was a quarter mile?  On my run back to the conference it started to rain.  Perfect.  While trying to take off my sweater to cover my hair (let's face it, no one wants to see what happens to my hair in the rain), I dropped my business cards all over the wet ground.  I looked up to the heavens, and asked, "Why?"

The awesomeness that followed is why.  I'm glad I asked.

My favorite part of the day was sitting and talking with DeNae, an amazing writer and my new hero.  Her presentation had me mesmerized.  During our mingling break, I sat down and asked her, "How do I find my voice?  I'm struggling to find the words to express my constant mind chatter, but finding it even harder to find a voice that is right for the artistic world and my preemie family audience."  She said, "Those are completely different voices, so don't try to make them the same."  So simple.  So powerful.  As an artist I'm loud, sassy, and kinda all over the place.  A a NICU nurse/preemie advocate I'm professional, sometimes stern, but always nurturing and supportive.  Why would I want to force those two voices together?  They need to be separate because their purpose is different.  I don't want to be loud and obnoxious with my NICU families... wrong place, wrong time.  

DeNae & Me (photo by Brandi)

She also said something I was dying to hear.  She said, "You've found your voice.  I can tell."  I could have cried.  I could have wept in front of my new idol.  Ahhhh!!!!  I didn't think I had one, or better yet, I had one buried under fear and hesitation.  I was trying to be someone else.  I was trying to write like other bloggers.  It's so wrong!  I'm not them!!  The purpose for my blog is different, so the voice has to be different.  I don't know why I have such a problem with being myself.  Originality sells.

Tiffany, Fran, and Kat did such an amazing job bringing this group of women together.  Thank you, thank you!!!