Did you know there are bloggy boot camps? The SITS girls hold a bloggy boot camp, with the next ones being held in Las Vegas, Nevada and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Those conferences look like they would be a blast. SITS Girls also posted 4 Reasons To Attend-a-blog-conference, one of them being:
IRL Bloggy Friends
"Blog friends are real, even if you only know each other through commenting on each others’ blogs and tweeting one another. But when you get to actually meet those same bloggers in real life, it’s a whole different level of connecting. The best part is you already know so much about each other that it feels like seeing them again instead of for the first time. In addition to the bloggers you already know from online, you’ll meet bloggers totally new to you as well and expand your tribe. Plus, there is nothing quite like being in a roomful of people who get it when it comes to this blogging gig."
If attending one bloggy conference isn't enough, there is another scheduled in July through Blogher.com.
Back to my writing challenge topic of "Friendship." When I began my blog, I did with the thought that it would be fun to post my thrift shop finds. I thought maybe a few people will read my blog and share my love of thrifting. It is only when I started participating in hops and challenges that I started to meet other delightful bloggers. Having a blog has proven to be more than I ever imagined and I hope to meet even more friends in the future.
Hey Tami, this is true. I've met more like-minded folk through my online wanderings than in real life. And the friendships are very real. Indigo
ReplyDeleteOn-line "friends" are fun and interesting and never fail to bring a smile to my face every day.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine meeting other bloggers in person, partly because I've led most of them to believe that I look like Johnny Depp. I'm afraid they'd be terribly disappointed.
ReplyDeleteSo true, Tami. I've met some truly incredible people online, and they've become some of my greatest friends. :)
ReplyDeleteAs Indigo said, it's so much easier to find like-minded people online. There are lots of bloggers out there, but after awhile you start weeding them out until you find your core group... like the crazy people doing the 30-2DoW Challenge! I've been lucky enough to actually meet Dufus and Unfinished Bryan.... and we all lived to tell the tale! I'm hoping to keep meeting more of these like-minded bloggers I've come to consider friends!
ReplyDeleteBlogging fans are outstanding. One day I'd like to go to a blog conference, as long as I can find one that fits my style a little. Either way, I love reading different people each day and interacting with others. Nice post.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many of our on-line friends we would have become friends with if in the same environment?
ReplyDeleteI've had the good fortune to meet a few of my blogging friends and it truly was like seeing an old friend rather than meeting a new one. When we started the blog, it was in the hopes that maybe we'd even get to make a few bucks. That changed really quickly. It didn't take very long before it was all about the friendships. And the really great thing about these challenges is that we have the opportunity to make new friends.
ReplyDeleteA lot of people start up blogs for a variety of reasons, but a lot of those websites don't last very long. The blogs that endure seem to do so because their authors take the time to reach out and say hello to other bloggers around them. I admit, I've been that lazy kind of blogger who hardly makes the time to socialize with other writers.
ReplyDeleteIf it weren't for the likes of Nicky and other positive blogging influences, my site probably would have been mothballed by now. It's nice to hear that you've been able to make so many online friends through your blog. Here's hoping that you'll make many more in the future.
There are so many bloggers I want to meet.... you are lucky lucky LUCKY going to blogher!!!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy my local thrift shop, too. Mostly I shop for clothes. Jeans are expensive and I can find great buys on practically new ones for a couple bucks. My latest and greatest find was a black leather coat on sale for $12.50. Granted it wasn't a real expensive one to start with, but still, I have a new leather coat.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Tami. Time and time again I am touched to my core by the kindness and kinship I've experienced with various blogging friends of the years, all of whom have been - at least for a time - as real and important to me as those friends I met offline. So far I haven't had a chance to meet any of my online friends in real life, but would truly adore the chance to do so one day.
ReplyDelete♥ Jessica