Early Thursday morning my friend Lisa and I will board a flight to San Francisco. We are going to California for the BlogHer conference in San Jose, but are also going just to get away and frankly, escape our crazy lives for a few days. We are both special needs moms to precious little boys, which neither of us would ever have dreamed would be our reality in our carefree days as college roommates and maids of honor in each others weddings.

This will be the first time I’ve taken a trip just for me since having children and I’m so excited. I’m excited to see a new part of the country, for uninterrupted sleep, and for long conversations and lots of laughs with my best friend. I’m excited for the conference and to immerse myself in the blogging culture; blogging is a hobby I stumbled upon almost by accident, but it has become one of the most precious outlets I have. I hope I come home on Sunday a better writer and with some fresh ideas on how to improve my blog. I purchased my domain name over a year ago and have been transferring all my posts over to WordPress as I go along, but I don’t like the format or “look” of my blog over there, so I really hope I can get some help with that at the conference and make that my “official” blog home.

I’m also dying with anticipation to meet in person a friend I “met” blogging almost 4 years ago. Esperanza and I faithfully read and comment on each other’s blogs, and I absolutely consider her a friend, even though we’ve communicated only though blog comments and email. I know it will be great, but I’m nervous- I guess we never truly escape that “what if she doesn’t like me” feeling of the first day of junior high. (You’ll like me, right E?) I know we are very different in some areas of our lives and have differing views on some issues, but we are both mothers with really little children trying our best day to day to figure out this parenting thing. I think motherhood can bond women closely despite other differences.

Overall, I truly don’t know what to expect from this trip, other than my expectation to have a great time, get out of my comfort zone, and be open to learn. Now, I guess I better start packing. Ugh.