Late last year, I started seeing a mom event advertised and blogged about. I didn't quite know what it was and dismissed it at first. I finally read one of the posts about MomCom on Free Fun in Austin and thought it sounded pretty cool. But still, I didn't register. I mentioned it to Doug, but only offhand. I finally decided to go about two weeks before the event. I didn't know what I was getting in to, I only knew that it sounded interesting and maybe I'd finally meet some more people around Austin.
It was totally out of my comfort zone, though. Put me somewhere with my kid and I'll talk to anyone (as long as you don't have creepy vibes). I'm good at talking to other parents when I've got my kid with me. I seem to need that ice breaker. This... this was just going to be me meeting other women. Since it was mostly moms, you'd think I'd have jumped right in. But, my tendency to be shy got the best of me, as did terrible allergies and little sleep. I talked to the people at my table some and talked to a few others, but didn't mingle as much as I should have.
Part of my problem was thinking that I was "just me" and nothing particular special. I haven't started a business, I hadn't started up my blog again at that point, I'm just a mom. The mistake was thinking that being a mom wasn't enough or special. It is. Being a mom is awesome and my little Phee is awesome.
While I was nervous and shy in January at MomCom, I definitely didn't leave empty handed. I listened to some amazing women talk about their lives, their inspirations, their plans and dreams. I talked to some interesting women. When I got home, I looked them up and started checking out blogs and following Twitter accounts.
I'm feeling a little better prepared for MomCom this time around. I'm really looking forward to June 23! I know I'm going to have fun and I'm going to hear some great stories and speakers. It's a nice break to have that day to myself and get to talk to other moms and women and see what they're up to and what they're working on.
Even if you're not a mom, this is a great event for you to attend. If kids are on your horizon, there are women here with loads of information, insight and inspiring stories. Want to be your own boss once you have kids? Someone here has done it and will have advice on how to do the same thing yourself. Plan to stop working altogether when you have kids? Many have done it and will talk to you about the challenges, the joys, the basic ins and outs. Have a new baby, business or idea and want to start blogging, but don't know quite where to begin? You'll be able to get lots of different advice and outlooks about blogging.
You don't have to be a mom to find a connection at MomCom. I'm really looking forward to meeting in person the women I've conversed with online. We all make connections online these days, but you still can't beat spending time with other people. If you're in or around Austin, come check it out- it's really a lot of fun!
