Image Credit: Nancy Doud – www.nancydoud.com

It’s a lonely life, this blogging gig. You aren’t in an office surrounded by colleagues. You don’t walk into the office every morning and greet each other with smiles. Everything is online. Yea, we have tools like Skype and Face Time to keep us connected but they are a poor substitue to actually being with people.

Perhaps this lack of daily interaction is what makes blog conferences such a big deal. Yes, we go to learn new things, hone our skills and connect with new people, but mostly we go to connect face to face with those people we talk to and work with on a daily basis but never see or touch. At a conference we have time to connect in a way that we could never experience online. We hug, we laugh and we draw strength from each others smiles. We may build the relationships online, but they are cemented when we are together.

The problem with conferences is they’re often far from home and always expensive. This year I get a really special treat. One of my favorite conferences has made the move to Dallas, TX… just 2.5 hours from me and I’ll be able to just drive down the day of the conference. I’m beside myself with excitement. But, what’s even better? The organizers are coming to Dallas today to do a site visit at the host hotel and they’ve invited any of the local attendees to join them for a bit. I’m going to head down to say hi, hug them all and meet up with some of the other semi-local blogger friends I only see a couple times a year. I’m calling this pre-BlissDom meetup my Mini Bliss.

So, who am I eager to see?

Leigh Dusek. This gal came into my life about two years ago when we traveled to Nashville together to attend BlissDom. We’ve been Skype and Facebook buddies ever since. She has a fabulous eye for design, can make you a rocking business card or logo and she is the most crafty/DIY person I know. (visit her at FunkyFaithGirl.com) Her bubbly spirit and love of bright colors make me smile. Every day with Leigh is fun.

My next order of business is to hug Alli Worthington till she can’t breathe. When you’re as much alike and love the same things with a passion, texting just isn’t enough. You miss each other. If I could be neighbors with any of my online friends, I’d pick Alli. She has five boys (as a mother of 2 sons, I hold boy-moms in high regard!) and she’s as geeky and (more) southern than I am. I met Alli online years ago, then in person at my first BlissDom in 2010 and I’ve been stalking admiring her ever since.

And finally, sweet Barbara Jones. While most of our regular correspondence is business related and I normally only see her at conferences, I’ve grown to love this woman, appreciate her wisdom and admire her business mindset. She always assumes I know how to do something and sometimes I find myself learning new things just so I don’t disappoint her. I can’t wait to hear her fabulous northern accent in person again and give her a great big hug!