highlights from mom 2.0 summit

After our big trip to Florida a couple weeks ago, I got to head down to Miami for a few days to catch up with the Mom 2.0 Summit. I wasn’t planning on attending this year – I’ve been trying to reign in my travel schedule and Miami seemed so far away. But when I realized that our Disney World trip would have me in Florida the very day that this conference started, I couldn’t bear the thought of flying home just as all of my favorite blogging folks were arriving.  When Laura asked me to speak, it was a no-brainer.  (Except for the part about Mark having to fly home alone with four children. But alas, they survived, thanks in large part to Virgin America’s plentiful snacks and constant streaming of the Disney Channel.) I am sometimes hesitant to post pictures of conferences, because it makes it appear as if the weekend is just one big “Moms Gone Wild” episode.  But I promise . . . during the day, we are actually conferencing.  See? It’s just that photos of the conferencey-part aren’t all that exciting. But suffice it to say, the conference part was incredible, educational, smart, and inspiring.  Mom 2.0 is the brainchild of Laura Mayes, and let me tell ya: if you ever have an opportunity to attend something that Laura is hosting, get yourself there.  I got to speak on a panel about the hot topics of 2012, and it sparked some really great discussion, especially surrounding working moms and gender roles. I’m working on a post about that. But for now, I’m just going to post pictures of the conference highlights.  Highlight #1: the view from my room. Highlight #2: the mojitos at the pool bar. And great company. Highlight #3: Taking a bus to a party at the Vercase Mansion. LIKE A BOSS. There was paparazzi awaiting us as we walked into the mansion.  I suspect they may have been disappointed to discover a bus full of ladies who write on the internet in their pajamas for a living, but WE were excited about it. Just chilling in the mansion. NBD. I kept waiting for the party to get so raucous that someone jumped in the pool.  That never happened.  But a bunch of us danced like idiots on the dance floor, so there’s that. The biggest highlight of the trip is a moment I don’t have a photo of, but I’ll try to paint you a picture. We leave the mansion, and a group of us, including my long-time girl crush Samantha Bee, go clubbing at a roof-top bar overlooking South Beach, and dance like fools until the wee hours. You know, just everyday stuff. BUT WAIT! That’s not the best part. The best part happens later, when three of us find ourselves in a cab with an elderly Haitian driver who has an affinity for 80’s ballads, and at around 2am ALL FOUR OF US are singing along to Bette Midler’s The Rose, with full harmony and hand motions.  I don’t know when I’ve laughed so hard. It was a really great trip, and in addition to being very fun, I also made some great connections in regards to my online writing.  I’ll be announcing some of those things soon. In the meantime, I’ve so grateful that I have a job that affords me some silly excitement in the midst of my typical routine, and some amazing relationships with incredible and inspiring women.