The BlogHer14 Highlight Reel, Part 1

I was at a big convention-type gathering this past weekend...and it wasn't San Diego Comic-Con. I attended my third BlogHer Conference, after a three-year absence.

I'm doing a Storified recap of the experience, in the tradition of my BEA Highlight Reel, but I'm breaking it into two blog posts so it won't take up quite as much space in your eyeballs, or in your feed readers.

BlogHer14, The Personal Highlight Reel

Recapping my third (and probably last) BlogHer Conference in tweets and photos

I couldn't sleep past 2 AM the night before BlogHer'14. I finally got up a little past 4, and discovered an email from Virgin America telling me that the flight I was scheduled to take to San Francisco at 11;25 AM had been bumped back nearly two hours. (My travel plans apparently overlapped those of President Obama, and Air Force One trumps Virgin America.) It left even later than that, and landed just in time for the Bay Area rush hour. I was already a little stressed when I got to the convention center that evening, which was a less-than-ideal condition for my solo arrival at the Evening at the Expo opening-night party.
1. 

   Proof I found my way to the #selfiebration (and it's all a little overwhelming when you walk in alone!) #BlogHer14pic.twitter.com/f29cNAExEA

   FLORINDA PVASQUEZ@FLORINDA_3RS

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   4 DAYS AGO
   
2. 
   

   Florinda PVasquez@florinda_3rs

   First people I saw at #BlogHer14 were @ChloeJeffreys@babybabylemon & @barbarafeldman--nice flashbacks to CA'12!

   4 DAYS AGO
   
I actually wasn't supposed to arrive alone at the Expo, but my delays caused me to miss an earlier event where Amy and I were supposed to meet up, and I didn't actually find her until we were both leaving. But thanks to my encounters with her, Chloe, and Barbara, the weekend kicked off with a nice taste of the so-very-different Creative Alliance experience.
3. 

   Breakfast, and the heavens sing: "Yay, coffee!" #blogher14#selfiebration pic.twitter.com/vIxSvoxwJD

   FLORINDA PVASQUEZ@FLORINDA_3RS

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   3 DAYS AGO
   
4. 

   My breakfast table had lots of room! And it's near the door, so I can escape before Speed Dating. #BlogHer14pic.twitter.com/DY3boWwl2x

   FLORINDA PVASQUEZ@FLORINDA_3RS

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   3 DAYS AGO
   
I did get some company at my table eventually: a team of mompreneurs, two blogging bartending sisters, a writing mom, and, believe it or not, a book (and movie) blogger!
5. 
   

   Florinda PVasquez@florinda_3rs

   Meeting @yesnofilms and catching up w/ @FromLeft2Write at breakfast--I found some #bookbloggers at #BlogHer14 :-)

   3 DAYS AGO
   
6. 
   

   Florinda PVasquez@florinda_3rs

   What @RebeccaSchinsky said after #BEA: "The book people are the best part." Wish more of you were here to hang with me at#BlogHer14 !

   3 DAYS AGO
   
7. I Am BlogHer.

   
   

   BLOGHER

   ·

   2 DAYS AGO
   
Breakfast was followed by the Opening Keynote, featuring a "Why I Blog" video and an interview with Jenny Lawson, The Bloggess. I reviewed Jenny's (mostly true) memoir, Let's Pretend This Never Happened, two years ago, but I bought a copy on-site so I could get it signed. (I no longer have the ARC I reviewed, so this one's my keeper.)
8. 
   

   Julie Ross Godar@Honeybeast

   You may think you don't have a story but maybe you haven't seen it from the eyes of someone else. You have a story. @TheBloggess#BlogHer14

   @florinda_3rs
   

   ·

   3 DAYS AGO
   
9. 

   I reviewed @thebloggess' book for Shelf Awareness years ago, but bought another copy just to get her to sign it at #blogher14#selfiebration

   

   FLORINDA VASQUEZ

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   3 DAYS AGO
   
10. 
    

    Florinda PVasquez@florinda_3rs

    Watching #DoctorWho is part of @TheBloggess' writing process? LOVE. (Also, the streams cross. #BlogHer14 #SDCC)

    3 DAYS AGO
Over coffee in the Expo Hall on Friday afternoon, Donna (the first blogger I ever met in person) told me she hasn't expected to see me San Jose at BlogHer14, because she'd thought I'd be in San Diego for Comic-Con that weekend...and I had to tell her that we haven't managed to get SDCC tickets since 2011.

But since I wasn't in SoCal, I got some NorCal face time with one of my oldest LA-based blogging friends, which included meeting her co-blogger and sister Linda and joining her and her MOMocrats podcast partner Cynematic at BlogHer14 sponsor California Women Lead's kickoff event for the get-out-the-vote initiative The Plus 1 Project.
11. 
    

    Florinda PVasquez@florinda_3rs

    It's the one-on-one time in the midst of crowds. Thanks @babybabylemon & @brigittaLA for chats this morning at#BlogHer14

    3 DAYS AGO
    
For many, the highlight and heart of a BlogHer Conference is the Friday-evening Voices of the Year keynote.
12. 
    

    Florinda PVasquez@florinda_3rs

    The trains aren't running on time here, so to speak, but no one seems to mind. The parties will just end later. #VOTY #BlogHer14

    3 DAYS AGO
    
13. 

    Nearly wrapping up #VOTY w/ a powerful read from @firemom#blogher14

    

    FLORINDA VASQUEZ

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    3 DAYS AGO
    
14. 
    

    Florinda PVasquez@florinda_3rs

    "@BlogHer taught me that just because I haven't done something doesn't mean I can't." @GDRPempress 10x10 #BlogHer14

    3 DAYS AGO
    
15. 

    And the #voty wraps with what @smacksy believes #blogher14#selfiebration

    

    FLORINDA VASQUEZ

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    3 DAYS AGO
    
I'm glad I was there for the presentations, but didn't linger for much of the post-keynote partying, which should be no surprise to anyone. It all started again on Saturday morning, though...

Part 2 will post tomorrow.