BlogHer-a newbies take on the madness

I leave for NYC Thursday for BlogHer, a conference of women bloggers and also quite possibly one giant Fleet Week type event where harried moms descend childless on Manhattan and reek more havoc on themselves and their host city than any sailors possibly could.
I’ve been to enough conferences to know I’ll either have a blast and come back totally inspired or I’ll be so overwhelmed that I’ll retreat to my quiet hotel room to relish the silence and watch television that does not contain any references to Sponge Bob.
In the meantime, I’ll worry about how I’ll afford to eat and where I’ll need to get cabs. I’ll stress over which outfits make me look less fat.I’ll prepare my feet for a beating as I refuse to compromise my footwear style for anyone damn conference. I’ll relish my children for days. Whenever I head out of town I spend a few days prior wishing I could just hold them on the couch forever.
I have no real expectations for this conference because it is totally unknown to me and lately there has been so much information thrown at me that I have turned off my intake valve . The outcome I wish for, what I am hoping to get- is direction. I started blogging to tell a few stories. In a relatively short time, I have gained more than I ever imagined. Most importantly, what I now have is a growing sense of responsibility to use my voice to make a difference.
I’m hoping that at BlogHer, surrounded by leaders in every field and women with incredibly strong and powerful voices, I can catch a glimpse into how to do just that.
And maybe watch a little television too.