crazy

I want to get all of BlogHer Day One out onto the blog before I totally forget and erase everything in my memory brain box with all the sessions today.

SO. Yesterday was a complete travel day, but I always love to meet and talk to people in airports — one of the best parts of flying, I find. I left Edmonton at 5am, and started driving to the international airport. My flight wasn’t until 8:15, but oh my God am I glad I left early. Security and customs took at least an hour and a half. There was just enough time after I got through to grab a coffee and a book before boarding the plane.

I met some guys from Milwaukee traveling for work, and we chatted as we waited to go through security. Aboard the plane, the gentleman sitting next to me was super friendly, and it was an easy 2 hour flight to Minneapolis/St. Paul. I grabbed a beer at the bar in Minneapolis, mostly because there was time to kill before the plane to LaGuardia, but not enough to do anything productive.

Sitting at the bar, I struck up a conversation with a New York homicide detective.

Seriously. I have proof in the form of a picture, but I’ll need to find a way to pull it off my iPhone before I can send it anywhere.

I love meeting people in transit, because there’s no guard up; no one is afraid of what they look like, who they’re talking to…airports are almost like a giant free for all. Anything goes!

After a quick 40 minutes in Minnesota, it was on the way to New York. Flight was smooth again, but I sat next to a couple this time so they were less willing to visit and chat.

Landed in NYC, immediately got smacked in the face with humidity and heat. Ended up taking a cab to my hostel in rush hour, and the NYC cab experience is not to be underestimated. I thought for SURE we were going to hit several objects, but the cab driver kept his cool.

Got to the hostel, and went walking through the Park. Grabbed a hot dog from a street vendor, watched a softball game, and saw Strawberry Fields (which was incredible). It was a long and sweaty walk through Central Park but so worth it to see all the things I had pictured in my head and on television, like Sheep Meadow and the ball diamonds. But oh GOD the humidity here is intense.

Shortly after I got back, Jenn arrived and we unloaded luggage times two and laughed about the size of the rooms. I know my words aren’t doing any justice to this trip, but I’ll update the entry as soon as I have access to my photos! The room is seriously tiny though. Enough room for one single bed, a small desk, and a side table. Oh, and a sleeping bag on the floor…

Went to the Hilton and got all registered with the conference. Then, it was the People’s Party, sadly with no Bloggess. Oh well. There was a balloon dress and a dancing bowling pin. Oh, and a bowling alley, bars & food everywhere, and a DJ with a dance floor. First party of the conference was a winner! Sarah, Jenn and I had a great time dancing up a storm, and I got to meet Jamie as well.

Got a little tipsy, walked back to the tiny room, and impulsively bought a bottle of wine on the way back. My skinny jeans quickly turned to “sweggings” (I’ll leave your imagination to figure out what those are) and then I mistook a residential building for a hotel and went inside to ask for a corkscrew. The doorman actually had one in his bag, but couldn’t leave the door to go and get it for us. My hilarious mistake…

Then there was the choreographed dance to get in and out of the shared bathrooms. They’re actually a lot nicer than I thought; you scan your way in to a room with a shower, sink, etc and then lock the door behind you, so while they’re shared, it’s never shared by more than one person at a time. I was picturing some kind of prison shower scene with flickering lights and a soap-on-a-rope. But the key loved to give me trouble getting in and out of the bathroom/room, and then I forgot my ring in a bathroom and had about 30 seconds of panic before I went back and picked it up (thank goodness).

BlogHer has been quite the experience so far, and I’m so freaking thankful that I’m able to be here. But I am also looking forward to going home and getting back to my normal life.