Actually, that’s not entirely true. As anyone who attended the dinner/dance at the conclusion of the Aussie Bloggers Conference last weekend would know, we actually NutBush-ed, but that didn’t have the same kind of poetic ring to it.

If I’m going to be entirely honest, I should also admit that I didn’t actually NutBush either, as I was busy chatting with Helen of BellsKnits at the time, but the title We Came. We Saw. They NutBush-ed. is more than a little ridiculous and I’m sure that you’ll appreciate why I chose to fudge the details somewhat.

I’m so glad we cleared that up. If you want to watch a group of Aussie Bloggers NutBush, you can find the video on YouTube here.

In the wake of the inaugural Aussie Bloggers Conference, I’m feeling inspired to refocus on what I love most about blogging and setting myself some clear blogging and writing goals for the coming year.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t thinking clearly Saturday afternoon and missed a wonderful opportunity while minding The NDM’s phone to take photos for a post titled ‘The NDM’s Phone Does Sydney’. Instead I offer you a much less humorous but more informative summary of my highlights from #AusBlogCon2011.

The Blogging Community
My strongest impression from the conference was the sense of being part of a strong, vibrant, dynamic, diverse and supportive community. As someone who has very few friends IRL who understand what blogging is, it was amazing and quite reassuring to be surrounded by 170+ people who understand the value of blogging on both a personal and professional level.

The stories shared through the conference sessions and in conversation were inspiring and demonstrated to me that while blogging is different things to different people, it is fundamentally something that gives us the opportunity to voice what is closest to our heart and to connect with others who share our vision, values and interests. Thank you so much to the brave and amazing bloggers who stepped up to the mic and inspired us all.

Meeting Long Time Friends for the First Time
It was a slightly disconcerting feeling to ‘meet’ people with whom you already feel a strong, personal connection. I was so excited to meet Annie (Life and Dandelions), @Gabfran (Caveat Calcei), Catherine (SquiggleMum), @TheNDM (Not Drowning, Mothering), Megan (Writing Out Loud), Jodie (Mummy Mayhem), Christie (Childhood101), Yvette (Happy Child), Glowless (Where’s My Glow?), Sarah (Ah, the Possibilities), Allison (Life in a Pink Fibro), Bianca (BigWords), Zoey (GoodGoog) and others that I have chatted with online. Putting faces to the names of people who have inspired, encouraged and challenged me for some time was a wonderful experience.

Making Amazing New Friends
Did you meet Kelly (Be a Fun Mum), Kim (Pop Couture), Susan (Mummy Daze), Benison O’Reilly or Helen (BellsKnits) at #AusBlogCon2011? They are amazing and you should definitely add them to your Aussie Bloggers Conference Dance Card for 2012.  So many awesome and amazing people gathered in one spot. It’s a shame there wasn’t more time for chatting and networking, as there are so many people that I didn’t get to meet, chat with or learn more about.

Gaining Focus and Purpose as a Blogger and Writer
I don’t think I came away from #AusBlogCon2011 with concrete information as much as I did with a greater sense of purpose and enthusiasm for developing and shaping my blog into something that best represents me and my interests. With another blog in the pipeline (watch this space for more details), it was great to come away from the conference inspired to set myself some clear goals for what I want to achieve through my blogging and writing online.

Christie Burnett from Childhood101 and Dave Lee from Nuffnang both asked specific questions that have really inspired me to develop a clear purpose for how I approach my blogging with a vision for the future. I’ll write more about my blogging vision for now and the future soon.

Laughter, Tears, Hugs, Smiles and a Sense of Belonging
The interactions with other bloggers – hearing their stories, meeting them, offering and getting advice, building friendships, chatting, learning and being inspired by their honesty, openness, resilience and strengths – was the ultimate benefit of #AusBlogCon2011 for me. While blogging involves a lot of time spent in physical isolation in front of a computer screen, the conference was a powerful reminder that blogging also connects us to a much wider community of people.

I am grateful for the amazing organisation and planning that went into making #AusBlogCon2011 a success. The organisers and sponsors chose to place a value on blogging and bloggers and this enabled us to come together and realise that we belong to a community of amazing people.

Did you attend #AusBlogCon2011? Feel free to link your AusBlogCon2011 review posts below.