I’m not really sure if all of this actually really did happen, but this is the beginning…

I feel like I just got home from summer camp. I want to pontificate on my many layered feelings about the BlogHer “camp” experience, but I don’t know that any of us can truly articulate what it was like. And some of us are going to avoid sharing our true feelings in their entirety because let’s face it, everything in life, even beautiful things, have their share of yuck. I returned home last night exhausted, with nothing left but a need to decompress.

Ryan wanted to hear about the weekend and I started to tell him stories and then I just stopped and said I was too tired of thinking about it all, even if most of it was absolutely good. There’s just too much to say.

For now, let me just tell you the story of Wednesday, the day I flew in to New York City, hopped in a cab and 50 bucks later, saw Ellie with my very own eyes for the first time in my life. (Many of you know, but let me remind you that Ellie is the blogger turned very good friend who I was reading while still drinking. I was in awe of her writing and her recovery story. I thought I would never be like her, never be strong enough, never be sober like her).

I was dropped down to what felt like an alternate universe and there we were, in The Village in NYC, at a funky hotel called The Larchmont, sharing sleeping space and not drinking. It was beautiful. Ellie is…well, I just don’t have words (again). I have not laughed that hard since high school, and I’m not exaggerating. Ellie mirrors me in ways that are so comforting. She is a gift.

So. We hurriedly got ready and took off to see some Broadway shows. As I mentioned earlier, Kristen had gotten loads of tickets for shows from generous folks at the different venues. So quite a number of us were able to take in said shows with all kinds of lovely fellow bloggers. Ellie and I split up at that point as she went to West Side Story while myself, Kristen, Jessica, and Ashley went to Fela.

Ellie saw West Side Story for the first time. Lucky lady.

Fela was incredible. It was a beautiful outpouring of sights and sounds, colorful and inspiring. African dance and song are absolutely mind blowing gifts to the world, and the talent of the cast was truly incredible (I don’t know HOW they shake their hips that fast for that long. Seriously). If you can, this is a show to see. It’s a feast for the senses in the best possible way.

After our shows, a bunch of us met for chocolate fondue–so it’s possible I scarfed down cheese, fruit and marshmallows in an embarrassing manner. (I ate a lot of chocolate covered marshmallows, just so you know.)

Ellie and I cabbed it back to our hotel after that, and of course we could not stop talking until it was pretty late. But I had the meeting with the literary agent the next morning on the books, so we did our best to get a little rest in our funky room.

To Be Continued (da da daaaaahhhm)