This year’s BlogHer conference is right around the corner, and I’m sure looking forward to it. I’ve never gone to a BlogHer conference before, but from all the online chatter, it’s clearly a Big Deal. There will be around 2,000 total people in attending, including 1,500 BlogHer conference ticket holders, and 500 other bloggers enjoying parties and the Chicago summer weather. I’ll get to see some fellow travel writers again such as Nancy D Brown and Pam Mandel, and meet “in real life” many others who I’ve known for a long time (over a year is huge in internet-time), like Kim Mance, Jamie Pearson and Kelby Carr.
I’ll be one of three bloggers running a Room of Your Own panel called “Your Blog is Great, Get People to Know About It.” 
That’ll be fun, of course. The whole conference is going to be terrific, I’m certain, as will be the parties and dinners sponsored by various companies… Also, I’m very excited to be able to share my new favorite ready-to-brew Starbucks coffee – great for travel and iffy hotels. Starbucks has generously provided over a thousand samples of its high-quality version of instant coffee, Starbucks VIA, for me to hand out. Starbucks Via is great for easy of packing and use (just add hot water). Thank you, Starbucks, for offering it to me, to share with so many other people. And anyone reading this who is attending the BlogHer 209 conference, don’t be shy! Come find me and get your sample of Starbucks VIA. I hope you like it as much as I do.
