Okay, confession time: I don’t get out much.
I put on a good show online but in real life, I’m a bit of a recluse. I like to stay home and do my socializing on the computer — it’s so much easier that way.
There’s that, and a maddening tendency toward migraines triggered by fragrances and chemical fumes. So I’ve been hanging out in this apartment [with my son and his fiancee] for several years, only going out for groceries and to visit friends and family once in a while. It’s a quiet life and I like it.
But lately, I’ve been feeling the urge to meet people.
Thanks to nudges from Naomi Dunford and Catherine Caine, I got a prescription I hoped would help me deal with the fragrances, and scraped up enough cash to go to Las Vegas during BlogWorld 2010 — though not enough to attend the actual event.
Luckily, the prescription worked. I had expected at least a low-level headache during the entire four days, but I was fine. #win
I read Naomi’s advice about how to be broke at a conference almost in time — before the words, “I can’t afford it,” had come out of my mouth more than once or twice. I drank club soda with lime at all [okay, both] social functions and avoided not only the embarrassment of being publicly broke, but publicly drunk as well. #win-win
I told myself that I would push through and network in spite of my social anxiety, but in the end, I couldn’t make myself get out there as much as I wanted. I spent a lot of time tweeting from my hotel room. Some of that was because my recently-healed broken foot wasn’t ready for all the walking, but I have to admit I was always relieved to get back to my room. #fail
That’s not to say that I didn’t make some happy connections. I loved meeting Naomi, Jen Gresham, Nathalie Lussier, Pace Smith, Elizabeth Potts-Weinstein, Johnny B. Truant, Catherine Caine, Nathan Hangen, Jordan Cooper, Jeanie Witcraft, Lisa Johnson, Wendy Cholbi, and many more. #totalwin
They made the trip totally worth the parts that weren’t much fun.
The not-fun parts:
- Those hotel-casinos are freaking HUGE! The pain of walking got to the point where I just wanted to stay in my room where I could at least get an internet connection and try to arrange meetings — which, for the most part, didn’t pan out because of communication problems.
- I finally rented a motorized scooter for the last 24 hours and was able to meet a few more people that way — but I was embarrassed, even though everybody was very nice.
- I had a lovely allergic reaction to something [soap?] and was itching like crazy.
- I had a hard time venturing out alone. My roomie, Catherine Caine, was lovely about hanging out with me but it wouldn’t have been fair to expect her to spend all her time babysitting me. After coming all the way from Australia, she needed to make the most of her time.
All of which motivates me to make some long-term changes in time for next year:
- Save up for the full access pass to BlogWorld 2011. I really wish I could have attended this year’s keynotes and panels — partly to soak in the knowledge and partly because it’s a more natural way to meet other attendees.
- Make arrangements with another introverted buddy [or group of buddies] to go to functions together. Much as I like being alone at home, in a crowd, I want someone to talk to.
- Buy a gizmo that will allow for easier communication on the fly. [iPhone? Laptop?]
- Start exercising now to have the energy to take full advantage of the conference and networking opportunities. Also to feel more self confident.
- Plan ahead for any health issues. Bring the right medications, rent what you need to get around, and don’t push yourself beyond your limits. You know what they are.
There — that should keep me busy for the next year! 🙂
What about you? Are you going to any upcoming networking events? Tell me more in the comments below — maybe we could meet up!
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Thanks for sharing. I plan to attend next year and am making plans now to do so. Great to read your insider tips.
You’re welcome, and I hope we get a chance to connect next year. Thanks for visiting!
Thanks for sharing your experience, LaVonne. I especially appreciate your take on going badgeless. From what I’d read…I was pretty much sold on that idea. But I think, like you, without the structure…I would tend to hide out in my room more than I need to.
I intend to be at blogworld next year. I love your idea of getting some introverts to band together. Count me in!
I’m glad to hear that you made some good contacts and had some fun despite your difficulties.
Ooh, wonderful — we could throw a party for introverts! Looking forward to meeting you. 🙂
You should add “hang out with Srini” to this list. J/K. Even as an extrovert I found blogworld to be really overwhelming. I can only imagine how it is for the A-list bloggers when everybody is clamoring for their attention. I’m with you on the hotel casinos. Forgetting something in your room was such a pain in the AS##$# since it was a 15 minute walk back all the damn time. The funny thing is I’m not much of a Vegas fan anymore and I can’t believe how expensive it has become.
You’re right — in fact, hanging out with Srini was definitely on my list last week, but we never managed to connect. Next year, for sure.
Yes, Vegas is outrageously expensive but since I got my room at the Tropicana practically free as part of my travel package, I figured the $3 bottles of water and $17 packets of allergy pills were a fair trade.
I think having a roommate is a great idea. It’s the one thing I would do differently (it sucked not having at least one person to hit up for meals when first arriving–I ate alone much of the time).
I’m proud of you for getting out there. You seemed totally natural and composed to me. And I know how hard it is to do that–I was doing the same thing. 🙂
So lovely to have met in person–hope we’ll be doing it a lot more often!
“I ate alone much of the time.”
I wish I had known — we could have hung out together! I did feel like the time we spent talking was like an island of relief in a sea of scary, lol. #badanalogy I hated to see you leave to go to the next panel. That’s when I realized I should have bought a BWE ticket.
MikeD & I will be going to DragonCon next year in Atlanta, GA over LaborDay weekend, and we definitely qualify as middle-of-the-road at most on the introvert/extrovert scale, with leanings towards the introverted side. 😀
You’re welcome to join us! 🙂
Sci-fi, but a lot of fen are flakes, believe me!, so there might be some useful stuff there for you.
And Dragon is very heavily media-based – lots of Hollywood folk, so you might be able to meet & greet for your voice coaching as well.
While I know from personal experience it’s hard, try not to be self-conscious about needing physical help. No one who’s worth anything will give you a hard time.
Another thing might be to see about getting a block of rooms together. MikeD & I are buying into one that our friends have put together for Dragon, so that way, even if I’m having a challenged day, someone is more likely to be in the vicinity.
Good Fortune with your Journeys! 🙂
Wow, thank you so much for the invitation, Birdy! I’m not into sci-fi any more, frankly, but who knows? 🙂
Great update. Thanks again, roomie!
How are you doing? Have you had a chance to rest yet? Felt so bad when I saw
your tweet last night about being dizzy. 🙁
~LaVonne
Count me in for that group of introverts for next year! I actually did write and suggest that they have some kind of “first timers” event next year and even offered to help plan one if they decide to do it. It’s something my professional association has done for several years since I pushed for that and it seems to help. It would have definitely helped me!
Brilliant idea! So impressed that you offered to help plan it — and
definitely, you’re in my group of BWE introverts. We’ll have to come up with
a t-shirt so we can identify each other, lol.
~LaVonne