My weekend was spent at blogging and social media conference, Fitbloggin, in Indianapolis.  I attended this conference two years ago in Savannah and was hooked.  This year I was invited back to the conference to speak about the highs and lows of weight loss.  Although I was speaking, I attended the conference to learn new things, to grow as a blogger and just become an overall better person.  

• Pre-conference excursions.  The early bird conference attendees could attend an outing to Lifetime Fitness.  My plane landed a bit late so I missed the facility tour but I still got to enjoy the facilities.  I did notice a day spa, sauna, pool, restaurant, basketball court along with the regular gym things.  We had to opportunity to attend three short classes while we were there: spinning, TCS and a Yen Yoga class.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t up to doing all of the classes.  Travel took it’s toll on me so I did the spin class and then walked on the treadmill.  I did observe the other classes though.  After class, we were treated to some lovely healthy refreshments and we headed back to the hotel for registration.

• Great sessions to choose. Fitbloggin has a mix of tracks you can attend.  If you want to try out new fitness things, there are workouts.  If you want to learn about blogging and social media, there are many sessions for that.  And if you are interested in emotional health and healthy living, there are sessions for that.  There is something for everyone.  There were two days of sessions but the hardest thing was deciding which panels to attend.  I did a healthy mix of all the sessions.  I did a Sworkit workout and Saturday I did the kickboxing and strength (presented by Lifetime Fitness) and Zumba.  FYI:  I have no rhythm for Zumba.  It was fun and it got the heart rate up, but I may or may not have looked totally ridiculous.

• There is lots of learning going on.  One of my goals was to learn how to be a better and more committed blogger (like the old days).  I learned a lot of helpful tips in the blogger/social media discussions that I will use going forward.  You should already be impressed that I’ve got this post done, right?  It was also great to be around like-minded people who understand the world of blogging and social media.  This isn’t an easy world and sometimes people just don’t understand how much work goes behind all this stuff that we do.  It’s great to feel like you’re not alone AND help people who are just getting started.  

• Meeting new people.  I’m always amazed at the great people that I get to meet at these conferences.  I have established relationships with others and it was really great to spend time with old friends.  But it was also great to meet new people, share experiences and stories and build a foundation for new friendships and connections.  I don’t know what it is about these people at this conference, but everyone is wonderful, happy and positive.  The environment is light and there are always smiles.  Being at this conference, whether you’re new attendee or a repeat offender, will make you feel at home.  Maybe it’s all that exercising we do during the day? It’s a great mix of people from all over the country, who are doing different things and obviously are there to accomplish different things.  But in the end, we’re all there for the same reason: to connect.  It’s just a beautiful thing I cherish so much.

• The Fitbloggin expo: There was a Fitbloggin expo on Friday night were we got to meet the sponsors and try their products.  Talk about some amazing stuff.  I fell in love with figs on Friday night.  I don’t think I’ve ever had a fresh fig but now I need all the figs in the world.  And I also got to try the Sworkit app which are workouts on the ho that you can do on your phone.  Perfect for when you are limited on time to but still need to get your workout in.  AND I got to try some Simple Truth products which are Kroger products that are organic and healthy.

My side notes:

• I had a fun time doing a modified version of the kickboxing and strength class. It was a highlight and we got yoga mats, stability ball things and the resistance bands. This is all stuff I need to make sure I’m staying with my strength routine during pregnancy. It gave me a big boost and got me excited to keep doing it.
• Indianapolis welcomed us with open arms.  I had never been to this city and it was great seeing all the people walking around downtown.  There were plenty of things to do, if I wanted to leave the hotel, which I did occasionally.  If I was running, it would have been a different story but I did walk around a bit.  Apparently, there’s a heatwave going on in the Midwest.  It wasn’t much different than what I deal with on a daily basis but some people were bothered by the heat.  I just liked being outside. I am a Texas girl.
• The food scene in Indy was outrageous.  I know there were some discussion that this place wouldn’t be awesome for food, but let me tell you it was amazing.  That’s a whole other blog post to look forward to on Wednesday…or if you’ve been following my Instagram you have already seen.

I’m not saying it was perfect or was like years past.  There were a few hiccups a long the way but I feel like the good heavily outweighed the lack of breakfast, even though I complained about it on the first day.  I did miss the lack of community/group bonding with social activities or just time to break away from the business of the conference and just get to know everyone.

I had a great time at the conference and I encourage everyone to attend next year.  I know several people have asked me about Fitbloggin and I encourage you to attend, even if you’re not a blogger.  There is a lot of information provided at the conference about overall health and fitness that is useful to everyone.  Like I mentioned before, attending the conference has re-ignited something in me that makes me want to be and do more.  I am grateful for the experience!