A Dream is Just Something Else to Worry About

Once upon a time, a million-billion (or you know 4) when I started blogging, I started following other people's blogs. Because you know that old adage about read more than you write and something-something-something.

Anyway, a lot of the people I was reading at that time packed up one weekend and went to this mysterious land of amazing called BlogHer. And I thought, "That sounds like fun. Maybe next year I can (furious google sounds)... Holey Pants! I could go to ComicCon for that." (Because even in my head, I'm a huge geek.)

In any case, for years now, I've listened to all the wonderful reports back from all the wonderful conferences and sort of whimpered in my cheerio's. Because I wanna go.

I wanna meet all these amazing people in that list over there -------------->
I wanna have a weekend where I am all blogger all the time.
I wanna have a good excuse to make business cards for my blog.
I wanna commune with all the other voices out there and get advice and learn from people and stuff.
I wanna hang with people who are amused by the same things I am.

And, I am. I'm going to a conference. To be specific, I'm going to a Non-Conference, because I'm cool like that.

I've been thinking about it for months, really and I registered, but I still had a little bit of out room. Today, I bought a plane ticket and that was some serious stuff. Now, I can't wiggle out. Now, I'm going. I'm going to meet a million cool people and see some beautiful gardens and find out just how crazy a blogger party is.

And, so today, the day I purchased the ticket to the big flying tube, I'm stressed. And, like many, many people before me, I'm going to do what I do best with stress. I'm going to ask you to fix it. With your advice and witticisms and maybe even calming shoulder stroking. I'm basically a feral cat when I get worked up.

1. Prepare to laugh - I haven't flown since before 9/11. Not because I was scared, but because I have had no where to go. I hear it's scary now. I understand there are naked pictures and I have to decant my shampoo into thimbles and I think there's something about shoes. Tell me what I need to know about flying in the 21st century, please.
2. What should I wear? There's conferency things and party things and it's all casual and mediocre and all, but I don't want to look like a shlump. But I also don't want to look like the crazy woman in a 80's pantsuit.
3. What do you put in a carry-on? It seems like a big deal, but in college I put all my books and my CD player, so I'm not sure that I even really need one... I mean, I'll have the gigantic purse of doom, but do I need another bag with me on the plan? Should this be my what-if-my-suitcase-goes-to-Bora-Bora-bag? Do I fill it with underwear and toothpaste? 
4. What should I be stressed about that I have completely forgotten? I'm sure there's something, like how I always stress really hard about remembering my toothbrush and then I get somewhere and I'm missing something equally important like my pajamas, or house keys. I'm guessing I won't need my house keys, though.