Wednesday, April 16, 2008

On the road again...

I'm packing!

I absolutely love packing for a trip--wondering what I'll be doing, what the weather will be like, who I'll meet and end up becoming friends with. On my last trip (to snowy Chicago) I met Rachael, the featured soloist chosen by Patti LaBelle in Clash of the Choirs. So now I'm only one degree of separation from being a able to carry a tune! I mean, friendship works that way, right? Your talents just sort of rub off on each other? Maybe on my next trip I'll meet someone carrying a clean white purse...

Tomorrow, me and my gigantic suitcase (there's a chance I'm a bit of an overpacker) are heading to Grand Rapids for the Festival of Faith and Writing-- a gathering of thousands, where we'll spend three days talking about two of my favorite subjects. If only the authors of HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU were coming...then we could add relationships to the mix, the weekend would be perfect!

Hopefully I'll get to blog from GR, and share the excitement of my first-ever writing conference with you all. In the meantime:

If you were designing the perfect conference, what would the topics be? (Presume for the sake of this question that the conference will be rated PG :) )

18 comments:

Rachel H. said...

Awesome! I love packing for trips too, but I HATE unpacking when I get back!

Nilsa S. said...

I'm sure it's been done before, but I think the topic of Women & Relationships is really interesting. And I'm not just talking about love. I'm talking about friendship. And our professional careers. And how we deal with vendors. And how we carry ourselves around other women. Or in largely male-dominated settings. I could go on ... but, I think there'd be many break-out sessions at that conference of interest.

Have fun in western Michigan! My fiance got his nursing degree in Grand Rapids!

Colleen said...

Have a safe trip - at least the weather up here is better since your last visit to the Great Lakes. Did you get my email about your book/bus offer?

Anonymous said...

I would love a conference about changing lifestyles (suburbs to ranch owner - oh, how I want grow up and have land and animals) and finding a way to make a living with this change.

For a more relaxed conference, I'd enjoy learning to sew and photography.

Have a super trip!

Kristine said...

The Festival on Faith and Writing is fantastic -- enjoy! I went two years ago, but can't make it this year. It's like nerdville for book people; I'm so jealous!

Two Date Diva said...

I love packing too, glad I'm not alone! Hope you have a great trip!

Jenny said...

Have fun!

Anonymous said...

Oh, Trish. I'm so embarassed that it's taken me this long to find your blog. I have a devil of a time finding people's blogs from the ning.com network. I kept checking on the website for your book. I think. Doh! So psyched you're coming to Chicago. I'm going to gather up my girlfriends and we'll be at Borders in Evanston to fete you properly. Happy packing--the weather here in schizo. It snowed a bit on Saturday, but today it was 72. Temps are dropping again . . . kisses to THAT DOG! lol

xxxx said...

How fun! Have a GREAT trip!

LEstes65 said...

I shouldn't plan conferences. You'd have the most ADHD designed agenda. I'd have workshops on harmonizing and mandatory workshops with the authors of He's Just Not That Into You for all women even remotely considering having any kind of relationship with men. I'd have lectures from all my Awesome Blogger Chicks because they're all major survivor stories from all different levels of life. And there would be live demos of how to make my chili and chocolate chess pies. And there would be a workshop where we all get to sit on the floor and they release tons of puppies into the room and we all just let go of our stresses and play with puppies. Then there will be a follow up workshop on new cleaning products that are great for cleaning up puppy poop and pee.

There you go. How much would you pay for THAT conference?!

ramblin' girl said...

Have a great trip! Brain too tired to think of good conference ideas...

Beck said...

HAVE FUN! And I laughed so hard at your being only "one degree of separation from being able to carry a tune" - har!

Patti said...

um, in the entry below, are talking about me?! me?!

and have fun...

Anonymous said...

My conference would be about the intersection of gender studies and music and its impact on both taxonomies (like LC subject headings) and folksonomies (like tagging on Flickr)...but it wouldn't be all talk about theory and issues, there would be deliberate focus on creative solutions and forward looking ideas.
And yes, I'm a nerd, but you asked...

Susie said...

Sounds like fun!!

If I were designing the perfect conference, it would involve lots of cupcakes, technology, cooking, relationships, and Japanese. I know...I'm the weirdest person in the world.

Alyssa Goodnight said...

Don't forget the lip gloss--I hear it can make all the difference! ;) I hope you have the best time!

L Sass said...

Have fun!!

I would love to host a conference where each participant had to obsessively research a random subject and then present on it.

Like, details of Laura Ingalls Wilder's life after the Little House series ends.

rae said...

Eeeeeek!!!! I revisited your blog for the first time in a while because I am having sooo much fun reading your book, and there I see a mention of me!!! You're too kind ) I had a great time in Boston this weekend, but I wished you were there. I'll see you in Philly next week. I can't wait!