Preparations

For the last few years I’ve been reading about some of my favorite bloggers going to Altitude Summit every year. I’ve wanted to go but, as a resident’s wife with the income to match, it was cost and time prohibitive. Now that ODD has a stable job and is in charge of his own schedule we made arrangements for me to attend this year. It’s held in Salt Lake which makes this a bit easier. I don’t have to fly anywhere or pay for a hotel room. I have all my things right here and don’t have to worry about forgetting things, losing bags, or packing too much/little. ODD has spent the last 12 years working on his profession, attending various conferences, internships, and doing interviews all over the country. We decided, now that it was logistically possible, it would be good for me to finally have a turn to further my skills at a conference that was important and pertinent to me. Quite the supportive husband, eh? Yep, I got a good one.

I anxiously waited for tickets to go on sale in August and snapped one up as quickly as possible. Thanks goodness I did! Tickets sold out within an hour! I arranged with ODD to block himself out at work for the two work days and pumped enough milk for Cashew since he still nurses quite a lot. I excitedly read each newsletter and blog post Alt Summit posted and have even managed to squeeze in some classes.

Then we became the mayors of crazytown when we went on vacation, bought a house, fixed it up, moved in, and made it through the holidays. By the time Christmas ended I was beyond ready to settle back into real life and focus on the exciting things coming this year. Then I realized Alt Summit was mere weeks away and I began freaking out a little.

I started brainstorming a blog redesign and new cards to go with, not to mention figuring out what to take and wear. Last weekend I had a mini meltdown when I realized the conference was only 11 days away and I still did not have any idea what I’d wear to the Clue Party. I frantically called Em and she talked me down and has been helping me along behind the scenes.

Example: I’ve been looking for just the right shoes for my Clue Party outfit. I couldn’t find anything that worked and had resigned myself to my cute, if not colorful, black oxfords. Then Em texted to see if I was doing okay with everything. I sent her pics of my outfit and told her I wasn’t in love with the shoes but I’d live. She asked my size and told me she’d look into shoes. Later that night she texted me that a new pair of shoes were on their way to my house! How amazing and thoughtful is that!? Seriously. And they are perfect, of course, because Em totally knows my style and what I’m looking for. I cannot wait to share pictures of them after the conference. She’s sharing some drops of awesome with me.

I feel much more prepared now than I did last weekend but I still waffle between being so excited I’m downright giddy and having a panic attack because I’m so nervous. I always feel like such a nerd meeting people because I’m such an introvert and in this case I’m meeting women and companies I really admire. To say I’m feeling out of my league is a bit of an understatement. Em and my mom have been so reassuring, reminding me that I’m a strong, capable woman, and in those moments I cannot wait to jump right in.

I may not be perfect and will probably end up doing at least a few embarrassing things while there (it seems an inevitability) but I think the experience and knowledge I gain from going will be worth it.

Now pardon me while I put my head between my knees and breathe into a paper bag.