Ever since the announcement came out regarding BloggersInSinCity, I’ve been going back and forth on the idea. My head feels like it’s going to explode with all the pros and cons floating around, so I’ve decided to blog about it. I mean, really, what’s a better way to decide on a blogging activity than to actually blog about it, right?
First I’ll give you all the reasons I really want to go:
- I’ve never gone anywhere completely by myself
- I have found so many wonderful people in this group, and really want to meet them in person!
- I’ve never been to Vegas
- I see pictures and read stories from last year, and want to create those kind of memories for myself
- There are a lot of people going who I haven’t found through the interwebs yet, that I could really be missing out on
- I have lots of vacation days to use so I would have no problem getting off work
- It’s the week before my birthday, and that would just be awesome
- I don’t want to miss the chance to have this experience, in the event that it wouldn’t happen again next year
- This group includes some of the most inspiring people I’ve ever come to know in my life (doniree!) and I don’t want to miss the opportunity to know them on an even more personal level
- Because I’ve never done anything just for me, and I think I owe it to myself.
Now I’ll give you all the reasons I’m completely and utterly terrified of going:
- Even though I’m 25, my mom will drill me with every paranoid reason why I shouldn’t go
- There won’t be a single person there that I have any kind of relationship with, other than a comment on their blog or a random tweet. A lot of the other people going have either already met in person, or at least converse in other ways (gchat, skype, snail mail, etc)
- I’m 99% sure most of the people going don’t read, and have never even heard of my blog. I feel like I’ll get there and no one will have any clue who I am or why I’m there. Then I’ll be stranded in Vegas, feeling like a moron for four days
- It’s sin city. By myself. That’s some scary shit.
I know this would be a life-changing experience for me, because I am so quick to turn down these kind of opportunities based solely on being afraid to do things alone and just for my own benefit.
I don’t know what I’m going to do, and I’m running out of time to decide. Hell, I might actually be out of time already, I’m not sure since I never registered to get the emails because I didn’t want to commit to anything just yet!
Ugh, I wish I had the balls to just go! Any words of wisdom? I could really use a second opinion at this point, cuz I’m going crazy over here.
Hiii! So, I've been in your shoes to some extent. I sort of invited myself to a blogging meet-up last year…and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I made new friends, I figured out that going places and doing things alone was awesome and I gained a lot of confidence. I'm going to Bloggers In Sin City and I've met like, two of the other bloggers for all of 10 minutes. Sure, I read the blogs and such but still…it's a brand new experience. I'm nervous too, but I KNOW it'll be awesome. And? It's VEGAS. If we're nervous, we'll just drink a lot.
So, book those flights and hotel and COME ALREADY. I promise that at the VERY least, I'll be your new friend and we can be scared together :) xoxo
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It will totally be worth it. Last year I moved to NYC – landed at JFK on a Friday. Saturday I met up with Lilu, Maxie, Lemmonex and Deutlich for the first time on a random-ass corner somewhere in the Village and tagged along to a blogger meetup that night. It was my first time meeting any bloggers, and it was SO MUCH FUN. You're nervous, which is understandable, but everyone is so welcoming and awesome, and you'll have a blast!! I'm sad I can't go – so go and have a good time for me :)
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GET YOUR ASS TO VEGAS THAT WEEKEND IN MAY NOW. You know I love you, right? As someone that has met a whole hell of a lot of those people that will be in Vegas this year, I can assure you… it doesn't matter if you don't think that you have a relationship with them. All of that goes out the window the second that you're together. If you want to though, REACH OUT! A lot of the people going are always on Gchat.
I flew out to Vegas alone last year. Well, to Cali alone last year and had a sleep over with three other bloggers that i met THAT DAY and then DROVE to Vegas with them the next day and had THE GREATEST WEEKEND OF MY LIFE. I'm serious. Take a leap of faith lovie, it's going to pay off big time. It's an amazing experience.
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There are always the prostitutes.
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My 30th birthday is just 2.5 weeks after the meetup. I'm planning on leaving 20sb in Vegas style. Let's celebrate your birth the same way. You lived another year! That's important. It should be celebrated with boas and margaritas.
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I think if you really want to go and don't you'll end up kicking yourself for not going. It may seem super intimidating but everyone I met so far has been just as awesome in real life as they are on their blogs.
I'm hoping I'll be able to go too, so we can hang out when I move back in 2 weeks & then you'll at least know someone :-)
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Obviously I'm going to tell you to go because I'm Mr. 20SB, but trust me on this…the crowd involved with this trip is a big fat bowl of friendly. You aren't risking anything by going…as scary as it is to head out to meet people you really don't know, this particular hang is made for people who don't know one another. It's a blogger hang. If you blog, you're family.
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GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! I'm going, and rooming with the awesome Katelin, and we would love some more roommates! :) (And we're both awesome.) DO IT! I would have never met any of the awesome bloggers I'm now friends with if I didn't take that chance! :)
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If you don't come, I'll kick a puppy AND starve an orphan.
So THERE!!!
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Rachel M. Reply:
February 23rd, 2010 at 9:08 pm
See I was planning on kicking an orphan and starving a puppy, but your plan is good too
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Other than money, I agree with you on the everyone already being friends thing. I'd feel like a 5th wheel. Or a 592nd wheel.
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No, no, NO! Please don't think that. I'm not going to vegas this year, because that's the weekend Matt is coming back from a 6 month deployment to Iraq, BUT… i can vouch for everyone involved and say that you will most certainly NOT feel like a 592nd wheel. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming and amazing (not at all cliquey, i swear). Vegas last year totally turned me into a professional blogger meeter, no joke. Put your fears aside, get your butt out there and live it up! You're only young once. :) You won't regret it, I promise.
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Dude – the point is you WON'T be by yourself. You'll be with us! Internet strangers!
Okay. We're safer and nice than we sound. Besides, what a great way to experience something new by yourself in a way that you know you'll be supported and welcomed by everyone else?
I thought so.
We'll see you in 85 days,
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I don't want to be the only other person who has never met a blogger in person. I have made friends around 20SB and am always looking for more. Is it intimidating? Yes but I would like to think the end result will be worth it.
Not-so-coincidental side note, going there and meeting bloggers would definitely be a way to get your name out there. Shameless self-promotion and all that. I'm just saying.
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Hello! I'm Ev`Yan. :] I don't know you & this is the first time I've ever been on your blog before. I was directed to this post by @20SB, & I wanted to give you my two cents on this matter (if you'll accept it, considering it's come from a perfect stranger!).
All of your “pros” are EXCELLENT reasons to go on this trip. Excellent. So I have really no comments on those, other than COME TO VEGAS! You won't regret it, I promise you that.
As for the “cons”: I've been there. I went last year, & I was extremely nervous to go myself. Granted, I had met a few people already in person before this trip… but it was the prospect of meeting & being surrounded by perfect strangers that started to get to me. I was thinking the same things as you: What if they don't like me, & I'm all alone, stuck in Vegas? (I had my husband with me, but still…) Even in spite of those scary What Ifs & cons… I realized that all of the good that could come out of this trip outweighed the bad. & when I got there, I was pleasantly surprised just how natural & perfect it all was. Everyone did their best to include everyone & to make everyone feel at home. I didn't feel left out, nor did I feel out of place. I was surrounded by so much love & friendship that it pretty much made me drunk off of it. It was a magical weekend, & I'm looking forward to going this year (by myself; I made my husband stay home so I could try to be brave & go to Vegas alone, something I've never done either).
I don't know if any of this is a consolation… but I really think you should just feel the fear & come to Vegas! I swear, you'll kick yourself MORE for staying home than if you were to go, because I already know you're going to have an excellent time.
I hope you'll come. :]
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So, I didn't go to the Vegas meetup last year, and I'm not entirely sure if I'm gonna go this year (only because it's going to be expensive!), but I did go to the NYC blogger meet up in August and I have met a handful of them and it's an amazing experience! Seriously, even though you don't know these people and it seems scary, once you see them, hug them and drink with them, it will feel like you've known them for YEARS!
Definitely go to Vegas. Definitely start connecting with other bloggers.
You won't regret it, I promise!
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Okay, so, as the person who created this meet up, I’m clearly going to say “OH MY GOD YOU HAVE TO COME IT’S SO MUCH FUN WEEE!”
But, I totally understand your concerns. I echo everyone’s feelings and reassurance from the comments, and I’d be happy to give you a call and chat about it if you’d like! Shoot me an email and we’ll figure out a good time to talk :)
nicole@nicoleisbetter.com
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OK so this is my first time on your blog. I found it by way of the hashtag on Twitter. I felt the same way you did, especially the whole “I’ve never been anywhere by myself” AND “What if these people think I suck?” And you know what? I’m taking a leap of faith. Rachel sent me some emails about it that only further solidified my decision. It is guaranteed to be a good time. I just know it, in my gut. :)
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