After this year’s Blissdom Canada event, a funny thing happened. 

Those posts that usually pour out of the community talking about all the speakers, events, and parties (oh the parties) seem absent. There are a few floating around out there but not as many as I saw last year. I think I know why.

This was the last Blissdom Canada of it’s type ever.

It seems final. It seems like it’s all over. We are keenly feeling the loss of the event that we look forward to all year long. To get to the community we love, give hugs, build each other up, and grow. But listen, we are looking at this all wrong.

This is not the end. This is not goodbye, this is the window opening after the door shuts.  Whenever there’s a change, I try and stop and think about what the opportunity is.

So here’s what I gained from my experience this year, and here’s what I think the opportunity is.

What I Gained This Year at Blissdom

• I showed up in Toronto feeling a little lost. I’ve had a lot of big life changes lately  and I think when all of that landscape starts shifting around on you, you start to question everything and anything. I shopped my heart out in Burlington and then Vaughn Mills, I left with several outfits (mostly from Marks Canada), and I left feeling confident. New look and with a plan bursting in my mind for what’s next.
• I soaked up the people. People who make me laugh, people I admire, people I had never met. Pieces of writing that I read about you, things I found out in the time leading up the conference by following along your social media, I dove right in. I had questions, I wanted to know more. I tried to listen with my whole heart, and be present. You did too.
    
• I love to learn. When I am interested in what I am doing, I read voraciously every night, I soak up all that I can. I learned about Gen Z (aka my kids), advanced video editing (which I am trying out!), and 43 ways to make our site more profitable (blew my mind). I made intensive notes! I asked all my questions, even if I thought they were stupid.
• Oh, and I got to hang out with my partner in crime. To be in the same province, kid free, and have conversations that aren’t interrupted with children screaming is priceless! (Plus she’s a bit of a party animal).
  

The Opportunity Unfolding

The next chapter of what’s next is unfolding. It isn’t the end, but it’s time to ask yourself, what’s next? What do you want to learn more about? What connections do you seek? How can you broaden your horizons? What are your goals?

Here’s mine:

• I want to learn how to make rad videos from Go Pro of my adventures. I have lots of video, need to get down to editing and perfect the process and angles a little more.
• I’m coming out from behind my keyboard more. I want to get to know the community more and figure out how we can collaborate with other amazing writers, editors and influencers.
• I’m marking the ROAM event on my calendar for May, and I have my fingers crossed that it will be on the West Coast once again.