I Need to Remember This.

I am supposed to be trying to sleep, or perhaps I should be out at a party, but what I most wanted to do is curl up in my bed with my laptop. I am a blogger, after all, and the last 48 hours have proved that to me beyond measure.

I've said it before, but bloggers are my people. Some of you are bloggers too, so you get it. Or maybe you're a Red Sox fan, or a cyclist, or in to certain type of music, or art. My tribe is bloggers. I am in my element here. I don't feel scared to introduce myself. I am good, I think, at being nice to people, making small talk, complimenting your outfit. I may not be the best writer I can be yet, but I am figuring it out and I know that meeting more of my tribe is only going to encourage me to elevate my game.

Today, I got to meet Lisa Belkin, most recently of The Huffington Post, whose career I have followed since her article on the "Opt Out Revolution" was published during the second trimester of my pregnancy with Hannah. I schmoozed on the Expo floor and realized I have a lot more feelings to explore on that. I sought out favorite bloggers who I knew mostly by their avatars. I learned about how to refine my writing for pitching it elsewhere, and what it's like to speak out on injustice and the tough situations that can follow such bravery. And yesterday was all about meeting people randomly, in the lobby and the serenity suite and in line at a party.

Tonight I got selected from a pot to read a blog post at the open mike session after BlogHer's main event, Voices of the Year. I read in front of maybe a hundred or so people (very dark room, VERY bright lights). People laughed when they were supposed to laugh, and they clapped at the end. I could barely feel my legs as I walked away from the podium.

I knew I needed this experience--I just didn't realize how much. More to come on all of it, but for tonight, I need to capture some of this magic in a bottle, so I can come back here the next time I'm feeling like maybe this writing into the abyss is a waste of time. For too many years, I watched the magic happen from home, on the sidelines. No more of that.

If this woman had a face, you'd see that it's me. Taken by Kimberly of

Red Shutters, my faithful buddy in this amazing experience.