The Blathering 2012

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, I was reading one of the many stellar blog posts over at Swistle. As I scrolled through the comments, I found myself struck by one in particular because it was exactly what I was going to say, only better written. I clicked over to her blog and read for awhile and she started reading my blog and lo, an internet friendship was begun.

I think after a weekend in New Orleans sharing a bedroom where we chatted about breast engorgement in the wee hours of the morning, we can now officially drop the "internet" off that statement. We are now just plain old friends.

(Well she's vibrant and fresh-faced, I'll take the mantle of plain and old.)

I signed up for The Blathering, which is a yearly social event with a bunch of blogging and twittering ladies, basically because Marie Green was going. And Hillary and Michele. And a whole bunch of other women who I couldn't claim to know but whose writing I've read for a long time. One night on Twitter, people were talking about it and it sounded like it would be a fun way to meet a lot of bloggers. (If you were the type of person who is extroverted enough to meet 60 strangers. Which I am NOT.)

I signed up on a whim and almost immediately regretted it. A sour feeling in my stomach deepened as the trip approached. What was I thinking, going to a large group social weekend where I knew no one and most of these ladies already knew each other? Would I spend the weekend awkwardly lurking on the sidelines of the conversations of old friends or sitting alone in my hotel room reading a book?

Some wonderful ladies and me, NOT sitting alone in a hotel room or lurking on the sidelines. (Too much.)

I am so relieved to report that I had a blast. Everyone I met (though I will admit I didn't meet everyone. So! Many! Great! Ladies!) was so friendly and fun. New Orleans was stinky and sticky but full of history and color and delicious fried food. It was the perfect backdrop for our weekend.

We walked ourselves sore and ate ourselves ill and talked ourselves hoarse. And if the amount of facial hair removal that was needed on Monday morning was any indication, I felt perfectly comfortable with these ladies.

It was pretty darn perfect.

You know how you read someone's blog and you think you know them? Or want to know them?

Well, you kinda do. And you definitely do.

(PS. Next year's Blathering is in Charleston South Carolina. Sounds pretty great, yes?)