The Journey of Blogher

Yesterday ended my journey at Blogher in Chicago.  I headed out on a 10+ hour trip back to beautiful Maui.  It was wonderful to watch the sunset over the airplane wing and then fly over all of the cane fields as we approached the Valley Isle.  The green is so green and the clouds clung to the side of Haleakala Volcano, as if hugging it.  The rush of plumeria scent as I came out of the plane, washed over me as if the breeze was putting a fresh lei around my neck to welcome me home.  It was nice.

As I left the gate, I looked over my shoulder and I saw that I came out of Gate 23…the same gate that I had left through. (and had a spill on) This time, there were no trips or falls or crashes or spills, but my feet weren’t firmly on the ground either, no this time, they were dancing in excitement to see my kids, my husband and my Maui.

Flying home I had so many great thoughts about this past weekend at Blogher.  I met wonderful women, listened to fantastic panels and learned a ton.  But what is so interesting is that going across the country to Blogher had actually brought me back home. It made me even more grateful for all that I have.  It helped me become better focused in what I want from my blog – sorta…I left with so many new ideas…but I think they will each help make Ohana Mama better.

Going to Blogher isn’t just about the destination. Most trips never are. It was the entire journey that made the biggest impact.  The planning.  Securing sponsorships and working with some top notch women entrepreneurs.  The trials of leaving your family – and realizing my husband CAN do it and it was great for my kids to see mommy doing something for mommy.  They love me no less.  In fact I think they may love me more…I came back…lol ;) joking of course.

Blogher for me was a journey in every sense of the word.  And like most journeys the lessons learned will stick with me forever!

Some cool things I learned from Blogher 09…

1. Online friendships are real…when I met the women I email and read online, it felt like we had known each other for forever! No more IRL friends/online friends…no, everyone is a friend. Online or in person! PERIOD! (which means… respect, even when hiding behind a keyboard…there’s real people on the other end)

2. Freaking out about what to wear was a bit of a waste.  No one judges, no one really cares. Just be you.

3. My family can survive without me.  I can be my own person.  And I think we are all better for it.

4. I am in love with Chicago and the city…but I’m a Maui girl…through and through, it’s now a part of me.

5. A clique isn’t a clique…it’s just friends that were so excited to finally spend in person time together.  There’s no shame in that!

6. I learned to be authentic and my audience will find me.  This might be the biggest nugget of useful info I learned.  I knew this but to hear it from the great panel talking about audience, which included, Laura Roeder (@lkr), Ree Drummond (Pioneer Woman) and Twanna (Funky Brown Chick), it stuck.  Just be you…do you see a theme here?

7. Free swag will turn people into vultures….including my kids who are now fighting over playdoh…I should have gotten two, but I didn’t want to seem greedy. damn.

8. I need a new avatar on Twitter…nearly everyone said I was skinnier, tinier, smaller than what I look like online…not sure how to take this…

9. The keynote on Friday night was my absolute favorite.  To hear the voice behind the writer, was amazing.  The keynote speakers made me want to be a better writer. It was so emotional and inspiring!

10. I learned that sometimes you need to leave all that you know, just for four days, in order to find yourself again and appreciate what you’ve got.  I am very thankful!.

I got home and the house was clean, the kids were happy and I was refreshed!  I’d say this journey was quite successful!

My Trip to Blogher…literally

Wednesday my hubby dropped me off curbside at the kahului airport in Maui.

After a tearful goodbye from my son and a kiss on my sleeping daughter’s cheek, I was off.

I did self check in, handed my bag off to be checked in and away I went to the gate.  Gate 7 to Los Angeles.

I walked leisurely to the gate.  Found a seat and then tweeted my excitement for taking off to Blogher.  After an hour and a tearful phonecall with my husband and a few tweets saying I was homesick (i.e. emotional) already, they started to board.  I was in the 6th group to board.

They called group 1, then group 2 then they said “ok, the rest of you.”

Knowing I was in the front of the plane I was going to wait but instead followed the herd (mooooo) and lined up as they let us on.  I got up to the ticket agent and that’s when my trip really started…

With an “umm, hmmm, let’s see” from the ticket agent, I spoke up “To Los Angeles right?”

Ticket agent: “Yes, but this is Delta, you are on American.  At gate 23. That’s on the other side of the airport. It leaves in 10 minutes.”

And with that, I booked it as fast I could, carrying my very very, filled-to-the-brim bag on my shoulder.  I pushed myself as hard as I could, thinking of the dreaded possibility that I had or was about to miss my flight.  My mind rushed to my husband, who had just returned home with two sleeping kids, having to wake them to come get me.  Me missing all of Thursday in Chicago and trying to find another flight. ugh.

I pushed and pushed and ripped my flips flops off so I could run faster.  I passed at lightening speed, gate 19, gate 20, gate 21, gate 22…all the while the clock was ticking.  I came around the corner to gate 23 just as they were closing the doors.  Screaming “WAIT! SIR!  I am on that plane!” He abandoned the doors, took my ticket and let me on to the plane.

Still breathing at an intensely rapid rate and my heart beating fast I felt I still wasn’t in the clear until I set foot into that plane.  As I got closer and saw the door to the plane still open, it happened.

Bam! Splat!  ME! Flat out, laid out on the floor.  My bag came crashing down.  My knees took the brunt of the impact with my hands next, so as to save me from literally doing a face-plant.

I think I let out a groan followed by a cry for help.  It all happened so fast.  I bounced up to my feet faster than a football receiver, I had to get to the goal…that plane!

The male flight attendant, came towards me.  I burst out in tears.  It was all too much.  That fall put me over the edge.  I had been sitting, like a jackass at the wrong gate.  I ran like the wind with people looking at me and wondering, “what the hell?” and then I crashed.  Both physically and emotionally.

The tears just started flowing.  The flight attendant, held onto my one shoulder and looked at me, tears flowing out of my eyes, chest puffing in and out with each gasp for air (and sanity) and he said, “Are you ok.”

Through the tears I was able to list what I had gone through… “I just fell. I was at the wrong gate, I ran all the way here and and and”…I just cried.  I mean, really cried.

He then said, “there’s got to be something else that’s going on in your life to have this happen” (I believe meaning my tearfest)

WTF!

Random, here I was having a therapy session with my gay flight attendant. But hey, I guess I needed it.

I answered in a crackle “I’m leaving my family.”

He answered, “well there you go!”

And with that new found knowledge, he continued..  “Now, you have to get on this plane and you are the last to board.  So in one minute you will have an audience of everyone that is sitting it their seats looking at you.  You can’t let them see you like this. Now dry your eyes, take a breath.”

I did as he said.  We cracked some joke.  I did what actors do before filming and ran my hand over my face as if to clear away the emotion so I could “go on stage” as I entered the plane.

“Now there you go” the very sweet flight attendant said.  I do believe he wiped a tear off of my face.  oh my god.

And he said, “Are you ok?” Yes I replied.  “Breathe” he said.  I took a deep breathe and he said, “Now go”.

I walked with both feet firmly on the ground and entered the plane.  Sure enough all eyes were on me.  I smiled as if I was just wanting to be fashionably late.  Found my seat (thank god it was close to the front) and tried for 20 minutes to hold back tears.

I thought to myself…I know I wanted a trip to Blogher .  But this was SOOOOOOOO NOT what I had in mind.

And then I heard…

“Flight attendants, prepare for take off.”

And with that, I was on my way.  A tad bruised, a tad battered and ever so thankful to that very sweet flight attendant.

more to come from Blogher…stay tuned!

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Win a Vado!! {closed}

The winner is….
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My sponsor, MomTv has given me TWO Vados to giveaway!

One will be given away at the Blogher conference.  Be sure to follow me @TheOhanaMama on Twitter to find out how to win!  I’ll announce it via twitter during the conference!

And one will be given away right here on The Ohana Mama for anyone not attending Blogher.

The Creative Vado Video Pocket Cameras is the official video camera of MomTv!

Win one and start sharing your vloggs with all of us!!

How to win…

Head on over to my recent interview with Stephanie, one of the founders of MomTv, then…

First: Leave a comment saying hi to Stephanie on that post – introduce yourself!

Second: Come back and tell me one thing you learned from the interview

Third: Earn Extra Entries….

  • Tweet out the interview of Stephanie – unlimited entries (just hit the retweet button – easy peasy!)
  • Tweet the following out – unlimited entries

Not going to Blogher? This is 4 You! MomTv is giving away a VADO on The Ohana Mama! #OhanaMamaVado http://tinyurl.com/ohanavado

  • Sign up for Momtv
  • Subscribe to The Ohana Mama
  • Grab my button and put it on your site or link to The Ohana Mama
  • Blog about it – get 5 extra entries

Contest Ends Sunday 7/26 at 11:59 Hawaii Time

Open to US and Canada

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Hula Shake Around the #Blogher-sphere: Do You Bump? {linky love}

Happy Monday! It’s time to get our hula shake on! Here’s how it works…

1. The Ohana Mama (me) picks a site, product, post, whatever, to feature as my hula shake

2. You leave your link to a post, giveaway, sale, review, etc, below

3. We all visit, make new friends, find cool new products and blogs to read

It’s as simple as one, two, three…now get your hula shake on!

Here’s my pick…keep the hula shake shakin’…

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It’s all everyone is talking about, BLOGHER!

And it’s in just two short days!

I’ll be flying in on Thursday, actually leaving on Wednesday, yes it’s going to take me TEN (10) HOURS! to get there but I feel it’s so worth it!

I’ve been feverishly getting ready, ordering business cards, buying dresses (it’s been fun and I may have a new-found addiction to shopping…at least I find deals!) and getting everything in order.

Along the planning way, I found an awesome app for the iPhone, called BUMP Technologies, it’s a fast way to share your contact info and virtual card via your iPhone.  This video explains it far better than I can…

If you have an iPhone, come and give me a BUMP at Blogher!!

If you don’t, I’ll have the adorable business cards below, made by Zen Designs Studios.

Now it’s your turn! Share your great posts, latest giveaway(s) or promotion(s) below in Mr Linky. Be sure to visit each other, leave comments, make it a grand hula shake across the blogosphere! Share the Aloha!

Have a shakin’ week everyone!

If you participate in Ohana Mama’s Monday Hula Shake around the Blogosphere and care to spread the aloha, grab our Shakin’ button!
**The code to make it grab-able isn’t lovin’ me right now, so you can right click the pic below to grab it and put it on your site. Sorry!**
The Ohana Mama

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