I got back from Vegas a week ago and crashed….I was exhausted!!!! My brain was/is on overload, filled with so many amazing memories, ideas, and a world's LONGEST to do list!!!
Last year, I attended the Teacher's Pay Teacher's Conference at the very last minute. I went to Vegas, knowing NO ONE, and completely content with the fact that my best friend worked in the hotel that was hosting the conference. So I knew that if my shyness got the best of me, I could always go and hang out with him. Of course I had a blast and knew that I was going to have to go back again this year.
This year, I anxiously awaited my email from TpT about the conference. I was signed up within a week and had my business cards ordered and shipped! When we had our Northern California Meet Up, I found out that some of the girls were going, and I was extremely excited!! This year, I would go into this conference with people I knew and that settled my nerves a little.
When I got to Vegas on Wednesday afternoon, I had never been so happy to be on the ground! The flight from the Bay Area was a quick one, but the last 20 mins was bumpy and windy. NOT my idea of fun. Then, as the pilot landed, he pulled back and took back off. The wind had shifted and we had to land on a different runway. 15 more minutes of wind and bumps. Blah! At least the view from the plane was nice!!
When I finally got to the hotel and got into my room, I met up with Laura from Teaching from Beyond the Desk. Our first stop was the Expo! I was so excited to pick up my Blogger T-Shirt from A+ Images! They did an AMAZING thing for Teacher Bloggers this year. They created shirts for each of us to wear at the conference! My shirt got lost in the mail. I was SO upset. I really liked my shirt and Doug was awesome about helping me. I spent 30 mins at the Post Office, sick as dog, and they couldn't find it. So, I emailed Doug to let him know and he replied to let me know that he would reprint my shirt and bring it with him to Vegas. MADE MY DAY! I wore the heck out of that shirt while I was in there too. Great company! We even took a group photo with all of our shirts!
Once we had my shirt, we went to explore the Expo and found ourselves GoNoodling! Such a fun way to start off the week! Her husband even got into it!! :)
One of the first people that I met was Mr. Greg from Kindergarten Smorgasboard! Mr. Greg is someone I have admired as a blogger for awhile. His innovative ideas keep the crazy wheels of my brain going. Even though we are on COMPLETELY opposite ends of the teaching spectrum (he's in K and I am in 5th), he sparks ideas and shares his knowledge. He also has the cutest pups ever!!!
Once we were done at the Expo, we had a little bit of down time before dinner and the big Vegas Meet Up!! Laura and I met up with Erin from Very Perry Classroom and Sarah from Tales of Teaching With Tech! We were the 4 musketeers for the entire rest of the week. We had a pretty good time. :)
The Vegas Meet Up was AMAZING!!!!!! I met some of the bloggers and TpT'ers that I have admired and followed through social media. I loved getting to know them and putting faces to names. One person that I was SOOOOO excited to meet was Ally Saxon from Loopin' Littles!!! She was my original S.L.A.N.T. Box partner. Love her!!! We didn't get nearly enough time to chat and hang out. I was a bit overwhelmed by the entire meet up…in the best possible way! I am so so glad that I got the chance to meet her tho!
There were so many other bloggers that I had an opportunity to meet. I felt so honored to meet them. Hope King from Elementary Shenanigans, Deanna Jump from Mrs. Jumps Class, and Natalie from Teachery Tidbits just to name a few!!! These ladies are inspirations for bloggers like me who are just getting off the ground. They are also a few of the sweetest and most genuine people I have met! I feel honored to be a part of something that includes these amazing women!
The Meet Up was AMAZING!!!!! I have to say a HUGE THANK YOU to the AMAZING sponsors of this event! There were goodie bags filled with amazing products that I can't wait to share with my class. Carson-Dellosa, Scentos, GoNoodle, Teacher Created Resources, and Ellison Education!
The conference itself was filled with meet ups of our grade levels, hearing some AMAZING speakers, sharing ideas, and lots of planning for what it next!! I learned that I need to be more consistent and I need to, "find my niche!"
At our leveled meet ups, I met some amazing bloggers!!!!
One of my highlights was meeting the founder of TpT! Paul Edelman!
Of course, we had to get out of the hotel at some point!! What better way to spend an absolutely BEAUTIFUL Vegas day (81 degrees), than with Serendipity 2's Frozen Hot Chocolate!!!!! Delicious! We also walked around the strip and played dress up! :)
I ended my trip by attending the Primary Pack Meet Up! I didn't have the chance to attend last year because I left Vegas, but I was determined to go this year! I didn't stay long. I was utterly exhausted!!! However, I got to meet my blog designer, Megan Farve, from A Bird in Hand Designs. She is truly amazing!
On my flight home….I sat next to the same TpT'er that I sat next to LAST year on the flight home. Lol. I think next year we may have to plan our flights…Lol
I know this post is long, but I had an unbelievable time and met so many people. I am truly grateful to have been able to attend this year and can't wait to see what the next year brings! I have so many ideas and so many things coming! I can't wait to collaborate with other bloggers and continue to build amazing relationships with the men and women of Teachers Pay Teachers!
