Type-A Parent: When A Blogging Conference Feels Like Summer Camp

I often do my best writing when I’m sitting on an airplane. No distractions. No internet. No iPhone Games. (Oh wait. I have those if I want them.)

And today, I’m on an airplane so I want to write. Especially because I’m flying home from the Type-A Parent conference.

For those that don’t know, it’s a relatively small blogging conference that still flies under the radar. It actually was my third time at Type-A, founded by Kelby Carr (otherwise known as @TypeAMom). The funny thing is most of us don’t see Kelby as Type-A at all. Maybe it’s not funny. Maybe it’s just ironic.

Regardless, it’s a conference I’ve recommended since I started attending 2 years ago. It was the first place I felt I had been delivered some meat. Some information I could really sink my teeth into and walk away with actionable items.

After I returned home from Type-A last year, I couldn’t wait for the next one. I bought my alumni ticket and waited 12 long months to be reunited with the crowd.

Other conferences came and went and I met people, learned stuff, and had a good time. One conference blurred with the next. And I started thinking that, since I moved, perhaps this would be the last Type-A for me. It’s hard to swallow the cost of flying and until I can start showing some real return on investment, I can’t keep justifying the expense of a conference. So I might have to make some cuts. But I would worry about that later.

I arrived in Charlotte on Thursday with two new blogging friends from the DC area. Jessica (@JessicaAPISS), Amy (@teachmama), and I all headed out on the same flight to Charlotte, shared a cab, and I settled in while I waited for my roomies to arrive.

To kill time, I thought it might be nice to have some drinks and snacks in the room. And by drinks, I mean wine. And by wine, I mean cheap wine. So I headed off on foot to shop at the nearest Trader Joe’s.

Turns out that a mile and a half walk in 90 degree heat and humidity starts out just fine but ends up in drenched clothing and a strong desire to crawl into a corner and die. So I finished my shopping, caught a cab, and waited for my Raleigh blogger reunion.

I had the pleasure of rooming with my buddies Erin (@erinclane), Andrea (@AndreaUpdyke), and Melissa (@melaculbertson). Even though I’m not a bed-sharing type and freaked out one night when my foot touched Melissa’s, our room felt more like a slumber party every night (It wasn’t but if that’s what you’re thinking, you need to check out Erin’s video of what really goes on behind closed doors).

We started our reunion by grabbing an AMAZING dinner at Cowfish where I learned you can combine the joy of sushi and burgers into something called “burgushi.” If you are lucky enough to live in Charlotte, you need to try it out. NEED to. If you live in Raleigh, get ready. They are coming to North Hills in early 2013. If you live anywhere else… well, too bad.

But the conference was more than good roommates and food. It was all the things that go along with a good blogging conference. Engaging sessions, crazy good information, and a lot of notetaking (which I’ll be sharing with you).

For me, though, I made the conference was exactly what I wanted it to be. Exactly what I had been missing from other conferences while I was busy meeting every person I could and collecting every last piece of swag (which I swore I wouldn’t do).

What I wanted was good conversation with people just like me. And that’s exactly what I got.

It was a night of giggling with Tracy (@sellabitmum) and a late evening chatting with Caitlin (@caitm).

It was a quiet breakfast with Chrysula (@chrysula).

It was talking about things which shall not be named with Julia (@JuliaRoberts1), Anissa (@AnissaMayhew), Katherine (@postpartumprogr), Tanis (@redneckmommy), Heather (@hdurdil), and Amy (@TheAmyTucker).

It was dancing like a fool (literally) with Nichole (@bywordsmusings), and Kelly (@kpugs), and Tracy (@chimomwriter).

It was falling in love with new friends like Angie (@angiekinghorn) and reuniting with old favorites like Brittany (@BrittanyVandy) and Trina (@OboyOrganic).

Ultimately, it was a few days that reminded me again why blogging is my passion. It’s the writing and community that keep me inspired. It’s the successful bloggers and tech geeks that keep me motivated.

I’m back after three days of blogging bliss trying to form some sort of action plan for the rest of the year. And first on the list is buying my ticket for Type-A Parent Conference for next year.