photo by Katelin
Please understand that I am going to try and write this post in a way that isn’t just one long stream of inside jokes and references and makes use of things other than the Bloggers In Sin City lexicon that I think 85.3% of us adopted by the end of the weekend, but no promises, y’all. Also, I am not promising that this will be in actual consecutive time order because hi, I was in Vegas, where time is fake.
I can’t say that I was nervous about Vegas, but more that I was beyond excited to meet the people who have become such an integral part of my life through email and snail mail and Skype and G-chat, to hug them and hear their voices and share drinks and dinners and spend four days in a happy bubble with pink walls and 32 oz. Malibu and pineapple drinks.
photo by Ali
From the minute I walked into Zefferino’s on Thursday to the teary goodbyes on Sunday morning, Vegas was plain amazing. I laid by the pool and had great conversations, I donned a superhero costume and wandered down the strip and a man handing out sexy cards HISSED IN MY FACE, I played air Tiny Guitar to a Pitbull song while dancing around a bar with my new blogging BFF’s.
I spent an afternoon in a hotel room laughing until my stomach muscles ached from laughing harder and longer than I have in months. I had a delicious dinner with amazing food and even more amazing conversations before once again having a late-night dance party. I jumped in a fountain and have way too many inappropriate pictures on my cell phone and sang at the top of my lungs in the middle of Margaritaville. Brunch on Sunday was half awesome due to bacon crepes and champagne and half sad because it was over.
I can recognize how amazing my life is all the time, but this was a truly life-changing weekend for me. I felt loved and supported and people laughed at my stories (even the truly traumatic ones that include slapping and sad faces and oh my gosh, why do you guys even claim to LIKE ME?) and shared their own. I never felt like I had to be anything other than exactly who I am, 100% myself the whole weekend. I was around people who are making a difference in the world, who are living their lives (“Let’s live our lives!”) and who are genuinely awesome.
It was like falling in love over and over again.
photo by Ali
Thanks to Nicole for planning, and to Jamie for being my love, and to Jess for being adorable. Thanks to Michelle for being so sweet and to Ben and Tia for pointing out when skeezy dancers are actually trannys and to Maxie for handing me the world’s largest tequila shot at Diablo’s and to LiLu for dancin’ it up with me. Thanks to Morgan for playing a tiny guitar with me and bonding with me and being awesome/hot, and to Steph for being a great pool date and Ev’Yan for being sweet and gorgeous, and to Molly for being stunning in personality and looks. Thanks to Jess, Katelin and Lacey for helping me soothe my sadness by knowing that we’ll be reunited at BlogHer in August. Thanks to Ali for taking photos and being generally awesome, and to Kerri for being lovely and feeling even more soul-sistery offline and to Andrea for that brief bit of spooning and for our eternal heart-spooning that lives on despite distance. Thanks to Nico for listening to so much TMI and still being sweet and adorable and to Doni for being cute and wise and genuine. Thanks to Amanda for looking great in hats and trading teaching stories and making me love you so hard it’s ridiculous. And special thanks to Kori for taking a chance on some weird girl who comments on your blog and flying all the way to Vegas to share a room with me and teach me about Roger Ebert.
For those who were there this weekend, I may have said I didn’t like too much of anything, and expressed my fear of everything AGGRESSIVE, but let me be clear that I aggressively love all of you, and if I ever wanted too much of anything, it’s all of you in my life, forever and always. And if you think you’re getting some vibe from me right now, you totally are, and yes, I want this. No sad face required.
photo by Ali
Copyright © 2012
Part of me, I think, would be much too scared to attend such a large blogger meet-up. I would worry they wouldn’t like me as much in person, that maybe I wouldn’t like them, that it would ruin some of the magic, that it would mess things up. Or maybe I’d just tell myself that to keep myself from going because I’m into self-sabotage sometimes. But reading your tweets, it seemed like so, so much fun & I loved living slightly vicariously through you! I’m so glad you had such a great time.
Suburban Sweetheart: Just a reminder, I’m meeting you in WDC when I visit for work this summer =) I’ll like you no matter what, of this I am sure!
The way you summarize your experience is exactly how I felt last year when I went and every other time (for the most part) when I meet a new blogger. It’s fantastic.
The sex cards ARE the very best. I’m thrilled that you all had such a great time–I think it’s simply magical when such great people gather, and I’m already looking forward to next year’s.
I think I’m jealous. Sounds like an awesome time!
jealouuuus!!!
I’m kinda disappointed you didn’t share a photo of you as a superhero. Seriously!!!! =)
Sounds like a great weekend with new and old friends. Just goes to prove this blogging community really is amazing!
Well, shit. I love you.
First of all- you look great, Amy!!!
) I can tell you’ve been working really hard and you look really good.
Haha.
Second- I’m SOOOOOOOOOO jealous. Ahh, yourwishcake….. she should be my best friend, she just doesn’t know it.
I’m glad you had fun!!!!
What an awesome recap! It was so good to finally get to hug you, sweetness! SO GOOD. And thank you so much for your kindness lady – can’t wait to be reunited!
This was the PERFECT recap post. I didn’t want to come back from Vegas and be all cliche and say “omg it was life changing”, but it really was. I love you!
(and your Tiny Guitar.)
(aaaaand the Slap Story.)
You’re cute. And yes, I am quite sure we’re going to get along smashingly. You can pretend like you didn’t read my initial comment.
On one hand I wish I had spent so much more time with you in Vegas. On the other hand I know this is just the beginning and there will be many more adventures in the future! Hopefully see you in a couple weeks at Jamie and Nicole’s birthday party???
Oh, and drinks are ALWAYS welcome. Especially if they are in the form of giant margaritas. I’ll bring the tequila, since there is SO MUCH left over!! xo
I pretty much barely got to talk to you all weekend! Sad! There were so many people and so much going on.
But it was lovely meeting you!
I love how I’m looking around during one pic and then eating during one pic. fml.
So glad I got to meet you! Wish I’d spent more time with you, but hopefully next meet up we can.
I will dance your face off your face anytime, lover!!
Miss you SO MUCH. :[
Uh. YOU’RE WELCOME FOR BEING YOUR LOVE?
NO NO.
THANK YOU.
RAINBOW.
FLOWER.
AGGRESSIVE LOVE.
kkbb, j. f.
super jealous and less scared of when i go to something big like this in the future.
Glad you all had such a great time. I particularly enjoyed all the twitpics from the weekend.
I’m so excited that I get to see you again in August its not even funny. YAYAYYYYYY. Rainbow.
Sounds like you had an amazing time.
Flower.
I love those pics and I’m glad you had a great time. Just wish I’d been there…
You’re even more lovely than I imagined. For serious.
Glory hole pizza slumber party soon, yes?
YES
cannot wait to hang out with you again in august! so so very excited. and um i’m so glad you jumped in the fountain even though we might all have chlamydia, it was so worth it, haha.
Hi, I adore you.
THE (AGGRESSIVE) END.
Hissssssssssssss.
That looks like so much fun!!!
Awwh, this post makes my heart happy. So glad you got to spend some time with so many awesome ladies (including my name twin!). I can’t wait to get to hug you myself one day soon.
It’s okay we don’t have a picture of Amy’s superhero costume. We wouldn’t wan the porn card vendor supervillain coming in and hissing aggressively in the comments.
I mean…the one on the left made a cute girl and all, but c’mon….C’MON.
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all i can say is…. jjeaaaalous! i need to come next time.
You made a fantastic superhero! Also 32 ounce barbie cups by the pool equals giant actual times three WIN
Ugh I’m so sad I missed brunch! Jealous! It was so good to see you dear and I’ll be seeing you again really soon
Sounds like y’all had a great time!!!
Awesome pictures! The fountain is my fave because you all look so gorgeous & drunk, but mostly gorgeous!
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