TRAVEL SUMMIT -- SHARING WHAT I LEARNED

When someone with a successful blog recommended attending the Women in Travel Summit  2016 (#WITS16) -- geared for travel bloggers and entrepreneurs -- it was pretty much a no brainer for me to sign up.   This was a local event and presented an opportunity for my first "formal" look-see into this field in which I have been actively participating for more than four years. Up to now, I have been guided by reader feedback, content I think is worthy of sharing and, obviously, my travels.  But maybe there's more ...   The city of Irvine, CA, is a mere (optimistically) hour drive so the commitment of all day Saturday with overnight stay was easy.   Those coming in from out of town/state could opt for many special events offered from Friday to Monday. This is the third year for the summit, organized by Beth Santos -- the founder of Wanderful.   This organization bills itself as a network/sisterhood for women who travel, who blog and who want to connect.  For me, the part about it being women-specific is probably the least compelling reason to attend.  I just wanted to see what I might be missing and what I can learn about this process to make it better -- you know, for you my readers!   Of particular appeal was being able to narrow my session choices to the "Blogger" track.  Other track choices included "Entrepreneur," "Traveler" and "Just for Fun and Networking" -- even "How to Monetize your Blog (Without Feeling Scammy)."  That was clearly my favorite as was the presenter Brooke Roberts (@TheNewDorothy).  I'm pretty sure we'll be fast friends -- at least online -- for I had her at "Rock Chalk," my greeting to her.  Hint, you need to be a KU fan to understand.  Why was hers my favorite?  Because Brooke's presentation was articulate (nary a "you guys" when speaking to the audience), concise, personal and full of take-away's.  I look forward to utilizing my notes and her slides for further fine-tuning this process. A few of the sessions dug deep into social media -- getting followers, Google analytic stuff (important if one wants sponsors but may as well be Greek to me), finding the right social media platform and sticking to it, plus more.  Many of the attendees I encountered expressed frustration with not being able to figure out how to monetize their knowledge.  They indicated their contacts are always coming to them for travel tips and information -- for free, of course.  And it is true:  when one is a perceived "expert" in a given field, it usually follows that they will be asked questions about something. The hubby can certainly attest to this (as a CPA) -- not only during tax season but pretty much year around --as well as any physician with the misfortune of being seated next to me (orthopedists and plastic surgeons beware). Takeaways from the sojourn:  I was pleasantly surprised by many of the aspects the Hotel Irvine. Not top of the line, but impressive service, bedding, beds, towels, room size and event staff, and being well-located right off the freeway. Not so good -- water pressure and bathroom lighting (pet peeves of mine).  The nearby restaurant Bistango has been around for 25 years but this was my first visit (with O.C. family).  This is a big space -- bar area, live music/dancing, large tables -- but we had a cozy booth for much of the night, with a very enjoyable meal and good service.   Above:  photo of a typical room at the hotel.  Right are photos from Bistango's website.    Lastly, many conversations with fellow attendees reminded me of how fortunate I am to be able to travel the world in an upscale manner.  Not so for many at this summit who can only dream about some of my experiences.  The question is, what can I do for you to make your travel dreams a reality??? Copyright © 2015. All Rights Reserved.

SPRINGING FORWARD

If you pay attention at all to the calendar, you are probably aware that on March 13 we turn the clocks forward to allow for progressively longer days and more sunlight.  We "lose" an hour initially and many of us will be waking up to darkness, but then many are able to make their evening commute with more light.   Those interested in the history of Daylight Savings Time should click here -- lots of fun facts and controversies as well. Patio tomatoes from seed are starting to pop indoors For this "Gardener Girl" (the hubby's term of endearment), this time of year signals abundance and a promise of things to come.  While thus far, the enormous El Nino has not fully materialized, we southern (and northern) Californians have still enjoyed the most rain of the past 4-5 years so "spring is busting out all over" as the saying goes. Roses and daisies -- first blooms are a bit early this year from our warm February This is year two of my produce garden and I am delighted to report that all of my fruit trees have prolific blooms! The berry vines are spreading out, the flat of celery (I was already home when I realized I hadn't bought italian parsley, to be honest) is growing like gangbusters, carrots are progressing and there are tons of daisies.  The roses have started to come out and my incredibly reliable cymbidium orchid has many spikes.  The indoor phalaenopsis orchids growing in my kitchen window have many plants with spikes and a couple have bloomed.   All in all, I am uplifted by the beauty of it all! Indoor phalaenopsis orchids rebloomed, and my stalwart cymbidium comes back yearly This tray with pea gravel is above the kitchen sink, where it loves the light and humidity A bunch more, all with spikes Goldmine Nectarine, Santa Rosa Plum, Babcock Peach and Fuji Apples -- all with tons of blooms.  Not shown:  Golden Amber Apricot Berry plant left; celery right -- good thing I like it! I always try to give credit where credit is due -- mostly to my maternal grandmother (Nana), who was a prolific rosarian, and to my mom who babied her plants for many years ... thanks for the inspiration!