Inspiration Amongst the Trees

A little over a week ago I went back in time.  I attended camp. Yes, camp.  You know, that place that has cabins full of bunkbeds lined with sleeping bags.  The place where a hike in the mountains is called Tuesday, and every night ends with dinner and s’mores over an open fire.  It was just like being a kid again… except for the late night partying and wine tasting in front of the fire, that is.  I haven’t attended camp since I was a kid, so it was fun to go back. The weekend reminded me why I loved camp so much when I was younger.  Not only did you get to hang out in nature, you got the chance to make great new friends.  But what made this camp better than the ones I attended when I was little, was I left with a better sense of my foodie self.

See, this camp was all about food blogging.  There were a variety of different panels ranging from how to manage the stress of blogging to learning how to decorate with fondant.  (Which I still can’t do, by the way.)  Several panels (managing stress and building a community) hit home and made me realize that this blogging thing is really where I want to be.  At first Kitchy Cooking started out as a hobby, something I’d do to keep my writing up and share some recipes with the internet masses.  But now that I’ve been doing it for over a year, I’ve come to realize it’s not just a hobby, it’s a job, and one that I thoroughly enjoy.

Fun with watermelon thanks to the Watermelon Board

Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of days that it’s stressful, but that comes with every job.  Camp helped me realize that I’m not alone.  A lot of food bloggers get stressed out over their posts.  The way to handle the stress, set up a schedule and decide what’s important to you. I’d already begun figuring that out, but getting confirmation was a huge spirit builder.

The other exciting observation I made during camp was that several other bloggers were in the same spot I currently am.  The first year was sort of question mark with the occasional post and there wasn’t really any focus.  But between years 1 and 2 the direction of the blog became more firmly established, and a community of followers was built.  Yes, tweaks continue to be made for each and every blog, but the foundation is pretty well set.  The bloggers behind filling me with a new found sense of blogging spirit? Cheryl Sternman Rule, Greg Henry, Jennifer Leal, Lori Lange, and Susan Russo.

Andrew Wilder and Sara O'Donnell

While these bloggers truly inspired me, there were others like Jennifer Hoffmeister, Suzanne Bern, Gina Melton, and Amee Meghani who were just plain cool to hang and drink with.  I comiserated with Nancy Buchanan, Rachel Hutchings, Shefaly Ravula, Jeanne Fratello, and Kelly Anderson over the trials and tribulations of child rearing. Thanks to Andrew Blok and his Wente Vineyards pinot noir, I had a late night laughing fit with Dara Michalski over some stuffed germs.  And Sarah O’Donnell and Andrew Wilder knew just how to keep the party going till the wee hours. But the person I need to thank the most for this awesomely inspiring weekend is the woman who put Camp Blogaway together – Patti Londre.

Yes, this weekend isn’t one I will soon forget for a couple reasons.  First it’s breathed new life into me and my blog.  But second, and more importantly it’s showed me that being a blogger doesn’t mean your isolated in a room behind a computer screen.  It means you’re part of a community of wonderful, intelligent men and women who all share one common interest – food.  And as long as there’s food (and wine), there will be friendship and inspiration among the stars.