If you missed my first FitBloggin' recap, find it here. For those who are wondering what the hell FitBloggin' is, it's a conference for health and fitness bloggers. It was this past weekend in Baltimore, and was ridiculously amazing.
The rest of day 1:
After the awesome Zumba class, I was completely drenched with sweat, so got a quick shower before lunch. All of the food was really good (sans a sad quinoa dish on Saturday).
- image via carriedphotography on Flickr
After lunch, the Expo area opened. Holy.Swag.Batman. There were New Balance headphones (in addition to the New Balance capris and shoes they gave us upon arrival), EatSmart scales, PopChips, goodies and coupons from Egglands Best, fitness DVDs, dried cherries, Disney snacks and more. I had no idea of how I was going to get it all home, but thankfully I had tucked a duffel bag into my suitcase for such an occasion.
Next up was a panel on The Laughing Cow Community Leader Model, which talked about bloggers working with brands. As someone who does this occasionally (and would like to more), it was interesting to hear what the various Laughing Cow community leaders and fellow bloggers had to say about it. Here is a link to the session recap.
A keynote panel was next, talking about blogging from hobby to career. It featured some of the most prominent personalities who have built careers out of blogging and social media specifically in the health and fitness arena. Here is the session recap.
After a quick outfit change, there was the Sears Social (drinks people!). This is where the connections really started to form, and I became a gushing lunatic blogger who tried to talk to those who I read on a regular basis.
I totally geeked out on Jennette and Shauna. I've read both of their books and have read their blogs for what seems like forever. Something that was really funny is that over dinner, Jennette and I had an interesting conversation, which you can see over on her blog here. Being able to hang out with both of them was one of the highlights of my trip.
After the social, we went to check out Foodie McBody and Paolo doing solo performances. Paolo made me laugh so hard I nearly peed my pants, and Foodie (aka Susan) made me cry with tears of understanding. This was one of my favorite parts of FitBloggin', by far. I wish more people had been there to see it.
The thing that was so wonderful in day 1 was interacting with people… my people. The ones who know what I'm going through, how hard the struggle is, and how much praise is needed before you feel accomplished. These are the authentic, kind, compassionate, and damn funny bloggers who are now friends. With them, acceptance is given without judgement. This wonderful online community has been my safe place for so long, and its clash in-the-flesh made the connection even stronger.
Stay tuned for a day 2 recap tomorrow.
Disclosure: My FitBloggin' experience was sponsored by ENELL, maker of performance apparel for well-endowed women. While ENELL is my FitBloggin’ sponsor, all gushy outpourings of love I give to their products is solely a representation of my own opinions. ENELL is a maker of performance apparel for well-endowed women, and was recently featured on Oprah for the second time. Follow ENELL on Facebook, Twitter, or their blog. I endorse Blog With Integrity.
