There is a bloggers Conference in Nashville in couple of months. It's called Blissdom and I would totally *love* to go to it. I seriously considered it and even tried to talk my husband into it, but by the time I added up the airfare, hotel, expenses, and conference fee, it was looking like a pretty big chunk of change and I decided I'd better look at choices closer to home.

However, there is a little glimmer of hope on the horizon. I have a chance to win a free trip to Blissdom - at least the Conference portion of the expenses, thanks to Blissfully Domestic, who is sponsoring a contest for one lucky Mom.

What I have to do is tell why I would like to attend Blissdom and what I think I would benefit from it. There are two basic things I value the most about my blog - one is the opportunity to express myself and talk about the things that are important to me. Things like my family, my crafting, my goals and hopes for the future - funny things, serious things, silly things. Plus I've now started my Clutterbugs series which will give me the oppportunity to inspire and help my readers on a weekly basis.

The other thing I value about my blog are the friendships. It's kind of ironic, my connections with friends and family is the thing that makes me the happiest in life and that's what I value the most. However, it's the thing that is most absent from my life.

Due to some odd circumstances at work, I have almost no interaction with others during my day. During the evenings and weekends, I don't have much interaction with anyone outside of my immediate family and a few close friends. And since we don't have much in the way of extended family (no parents, grandparents, etc.) - I probably miss that more than ever.

No weekly dinners with Mom & Dad, no grandparents or aunts & uncles at Thanksgiving, no one to call and cry to when you've had a bad day, or no one to cheer you on when you've done something great. No parent to give you advice or a helping hand when things are going badly. It's definitely tough.

So when you are dealing with a reality like that, what do you do? Well, in my case, you make up for it by working hard to build new friendships on-line. I've made some wonderful friendships with people in the blogging world in my three and a half years of blogging.

However, I really took it to the next level when I attended SITScation in October. There is something magical about that in-person connection that really outpaces just the on-line connection. Especially when you are able to come home and reinforce it with on-going contact through Twitter and on everyone's blogs.

That's why, I really want to go to Blissdom. SITScation was only a day and a half while Blissdom is a three and a half days, so I could really accomplish a lot in that amount of time.

Plus you learn so much, about blogging, about relationships, about building your site, and about partnering with companies, about stuff I haven't even thought about. Plus, there's the fabulous Alli Worthington, who runs the whole thing. She's one of my peeps from SITScation and she's amazing. And she has an outstanding panel of speakers all lined up for us.

Wow, I guess I want to go more than I really thought I did. Hope I win! If not, I hope I come into a chunk of moolah so I can go on my own!




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