Rave ‘n’ Crave Wednesday: Vida Vegan Con 2013, Portland, OR

My blog postings in May have been a little sparse. As someone who works in a restaurant, Mother’s Day wiped me out and reduced my productivity level to something less than 0. While I felt guilty for not writing, I also knew that taking a break wasn’t going to be the end of the world, and anything I posted wouldn’t be something that I was proud of anyway. Then this past weekend, I had the absolute joy of attending Vida Vegan Con 2013 in Portland, OR!

Vida Vegan Con! I can never seem to get the name right. I keep trying to call it Vegan Vida Con. Anyway, it is a convention for vegan bloggers! Seriously. I came across it randomly last year on someone else’s blog, vowed to go the next time it happened, and subsequently forgot all about it. Thankfully, I saw a reference to it in January and quickly snapped up a conference ticket. The things I learned and the people I met at the conference, changed my life and outlook towards my blog.

There were classes by some of the most accomplished people in the vegan industry. I had the privilege of taking an iPhone Food Photography class with the incomparable Isa Chandra Moskowitz, a Vegans of Color class/discussion with Terry Hope Romero and Mo Martin, and (my favorite) an Incorporating Your Other Creative Talents Into Your Blog lecture with Cadry Nelson, and numerous other classes. There are so many notes and ideas in the margins of my note taking journal that I don’t even know where to begin. To be around so many vegans from all over the world, have regular doses of vegan food, see and taste new products by vegan companies, and also be able to wander around all over Portland made me feel so lucky to be where I am in life. I am so fortunate and grateful for the entire experience.

To top it all off, I ended up sitting next to Artisian Vegan Cheese author, Miyoko Schinner, on the plane ride home. I am already an introvert, but I was so exhausted and star struck I can’t even imagine what she thought of me. Over the course of the next week, I will write more about my Vida Vegan Con experience. For now, I will say that life is too short to live it with any regrets. If you have the opportunity in life to do something that makes you giddy at the thought of it, go for it. I was so excited in the week leading up to Vida Vegan Con that I didn’t sleep much before or during the conference. All of that nervous energy was worth it. I had an amazing time and am left with unforgettable memories. I went to Vida Vegan Con 2013 and all I got were some great lessons, a plethora of ideas, good contacts, delicious vegan food, priceless memories, and a ridiculously large swag bag! Life is good.