Blissdom '09 ~ Being There, Virtually

I am a member of the Blissfully Domestic community and a contributor at the the Blissful Home channel of the online magazine.  Last weekend, a few hundred blissful bloggers converged in Nashville, TN, to attend "Blissdom O9."  Thanks to Twitter and the hashtags #blissdom09 and #gno, I was able to watch from afar this incredible event.

I watched people express feelings of excitement, nervousness, and anxiety about traveling alone, meeting others face-to-face for the first time, speaking in public, and breaking through comfort zones in order to make their way to the conference.  I read how some attendees were sponsored and how some could only attend one conference this year and had to make a difficult choice.  I watched them arrive at the airport and at the hotel, meet online friends for the first time, and tweet their way around the hotel Friday night.

I tuned in to Blog Talk Radio and heard an hour long show of conference-goers saying hello on the air and having giddy conversations with each other.  I continued to follow tweets about the highly informative breakout sessions on Saturday, the entertainers, the elevator incident on Saturday night, and the farewells on Sunday.  And I watched everyone return to their respective homes, write about their experiences on their own blogs, post group photos from the conference, and reconnect via Twitter with a familiarity and a new enthusiasm for having met those they've come to know only online. 

Since most aspects of social media are monosyllabic, I am in no way able to capture the complete experience of attending Blissdom '09.  But it's been fascinating to watch from a distance yet be there, virtually.  I'm an introvert by nature and an observer of dynamics between people.  I've tapped into my degree in organizational psychology since the energy in this group is palpable, and I think the leaders of this conference, Allison Worthington and Barbara Jones, are nothing less than brilliant.  They have inspired, empowered, and motivated a segment of a decision-making base in the most important consumer demographic in this country.  To describe this event as powerful is an understatement.  

I couldn't help but think, too, about the strategic timing of this conference.  During the doldrums of winter, wives and mothers (and a father or two) went away for a weekend in early February.  They had a great time and returned home to loved ones who missed them and realized, either for the first time or again, all they give to their families and homes.  The weekend following their homecoming is Valentine's Day, a day to express to those closest to us our love and appreciation.  Timing.

Every part of Blissdom '09 was brilliant.  Absolutely brilliant.

 

You can read what some have learned this week over at Musings of a Housewife, and what others are doing over at Rocks in My Dryer.

Comments

[Leanne]

It never even occured to me to follow Blissdom virtually. I just assumed that not living in the US meant going was a complete no no and put it out of my mind. Next year I'll definitely follow. Thanks for this.

[Julia @ Hooked on Houses]

Interesting to hear how you were able to follow the conference from afar! I bet it was fun to read all the tweets about it. I'll have to check out Blog Talk Radio.

BlissDom really was a wonderful experience. I can't even imagine all the work that went into hosting it! Hat's off to Alli and Barbara, for sure. :-)

[Musings of a Housewife]

It's neat to hear about the conference from your perspective. I hope you can come to the next one! I would SO love to meet you. :=)

[melissa @ the inspired room]

I sure wish you could have been there IN REAL LIFE! It was a wonderful experience, but I was really nervous about speaking. I'll try to share my BLISSDOM experience over the weekend on my blog.

Maybe next time we'll meet in person?

:-)