Like a virgin.

Conferencin’ for the very first tiiiiiime. (Sorry, I’ve been re-watching the first season of Glee on Netflix and I’m feeling very sing-songy lately.)

But if that’s any indication of my excitement for my very first conference EVAR, then you’ll know I’m very excited. Very. Also? Very. As far as conferences go as a whole, the Type-A Parents Conference is supposed to be a good one for conference newbies like myself.

I was really pumped up about it when I first found out about it back in the summer and immediately signed up, not really thinking through logistics like where my son will be staying. Oops. Thankfully, he has the very best grandparents in the whole world, and they’ve offered to keep him so that he doesn’t go live with the wolves for the weekend. (I’m kidding – Oscar works on Saturdays, sometimes very late, so it’s easier to have G stay with a set of grandparents over the weekend so he gets a little break, too.) After a few weeks though, I found myself getting nervous and was considering selling my ticket online.

I won’t know anyone, I thought. I’m actually not that great at introducing myself to strangers. Once I get to know a person I’m pretty outgoing, but not at first. I have to ease into that comfort zone. On the internet, it’s easier to be ballsier because well, it’s the internet. Even though so much of me is out in the open, I’m still behind a screen. Anyway, I began to think of reasons not to go. I’d feel guilty leaving G with his grandparents for a weekend, there’s going to be so many people, how will I make friends? 

Anyway, I finally got over all of that negative talk and over the past two or three weeks, have been really pumped up about going. The panels look really interesting and I’ll get to see Amber Naslund and Erika Napoletano speak, and maybe I’ll even share a few f-words with Erika. (One can only hope).

Have you been to a conference before? Do you have any suggestions or advice for this virgin? Please do tell.