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On October 11th I attended my very first blog conference.  I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, so I was pretty nervous walking down to the event on Saturday morning.  Luckily, I knew a few people who were going to be there so I quickly found Madison (from Wetherills Say I Do) and Emily (from Love, Pasta, and a Tool Belt) and was able to walk in with them.

Bloggy Boot Camp was a great first conference to go to and it was great to get my feet wet with a small group of bloggers.  Even though I’ve been blogging for almost two years I still feel like there is so much I need to learn.  We were lucky enough to have some really great speakers who offered some invaluable information, ones that focused on using Pinterest to drive traffic to your blog, creating great blog content, the correct way to use affiliate marketing, and more.

One thing we talked about that really struck a cord with me was finding our end game.  Some may want to make money to contribute to their household, some may want to be financially independent, and others may have different goals.  It’s all about what you want out of this wonderful world of blogging.  I’m still not quite sure what my end game is, but I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately and I have a few ideas.  I’m excited to see where the journey will lead me!

Besides all of the great information we received, my favorite part of the conference was finally meeting a few of my favorite bloggers in person.  I was fortunate enough to go down to Atlanta a few days early so that Emily and I could hang out and try to meet Paul Wesley and Ian Somerholder while stalking The Vampire Diaries sets.  We weren’t successful in our stalking goals, but I did get to see where the film the show and eat at the Mystic Grill.  We found out after we left that the filming started the week after we were there.  Just our luck, right?

I also spent a few hours after the conference eating and talking with three of my favorite people.  Madison traveled with Haley from A Beautiful Exchange and I was able to meet and get to know her as well.  Blogging has brought about such wonderful opportunities and has given me the chance to meet some amazing and inspiring women.  I’m thankful for this community, for the friendships I’ve made, and for the opportunities I’ve been given.  Bloggy Boot Camp has left me feeling so inspired and it has left me dreaming of the next conference I can attend.

And ps- can you believe I didn’t take a picture of Madison and I?  #bloggerfail

Have you ever been to a blog conference?  What was your experience like?