I'm Running Away from Home, Sort Of

Northern Voice Logo/Mascot,
I'm assuming he's a moose

Posting is going to be pretty light here this week as I prepare to fly away to Vancouver!  Not only have I not finished unpacking from our move, I'm also starting a new job (a very casual position) and my husband is now on his 10th week working away.  In spite of all that, all I can think about is four days away from the humdrum of everyday life!  Just me and my best friend, out on the town!  Well, actually, we're not just spending all our time painting the town red (or orange, in my case). We're actually attending a personal blogging and social media conference at UBC called Northern Voice 2011.  My friend, Jeanette, who happens to have a travel and photography blog, went last year and raved about it.  When I decided a trip to Vancouver was in order for this spring, she suggested that I come the weekend of the conference and we would go together. 

I'm really looking forward to it, but I know that I will be the odd man out, I won't even have a cell phone while I'm there, let alone a laptop or iPad!  I'm getting a new phone, but my indecision over whether I should get the ubiquitous iPhone or the HTC Desire HD has delayed its purchase (I'm open to suggestions).  Everyone else will be twittering and blogging away, and I'll be taking notes with my good old pen and notepad (Sarasa 0.7 if you're interested, I'm very particular about my pens).

I'm flying out of Medicine Hat, and that alone has me excited.  I love that I don't have to drive to Calgary, figure out parking, etc.  I haven't totally decided which sessions I will be attending, but I'm especially looking forward to "Blogging In Real Life: Building Community through Hyperlocal Blogging", which is sort of what I'm trying to do on this blog.  I knew when I started this blog that I wanted to showcase Medicine Hat as much as I could, since I love this city so much (it is my hometown after all).  I think that the session, "How do you run a successful & engaging online movement without a huge budget? Lessons from three grassroots campaigns for change" may be beneficial for my new job; I'm sure I'll come home bursting with ideas after the weekend.

I'm also looking forward to eating some amazing ethnic foods that we don't have here in the Hat.  Perhaps I'll even see a celebrity or two?!  I saw one last time at the Starbucks in Gastown, well, a Canadian tv semi-celebrity, which would probably put them on the D list!