I feel very lucky to have been treated to a trip to Seattle by Nintendo and Brand About Town this past weekend, to test out the newly released 3DS, and I felt even luckier that not once did either company make me feel anything but welcomed and appreciated. There was never mention of what I'd write about upon returning home, or what I'd tweet about, and that made me want to write and tweet all the more, so much so that I wrote nothing HA HA HA (ha?), hoping the perfect post would just materialize in front of me.
It did not.
You get this instead.
I'm not necessarily used to being treated like a superstar by a company and not in an annoying BUY BUY BUY FROM US! kind of way, but in a genuinely welcoming, "we're glad to have you! tell us more about you!" kind of way. I'm not a celebrity, not even of the internet variety, but I sure felt special this weekend and even if I never play with another Nintendo game again (I probably will, I HAVE A 12-YEAR-OLD HUSBAND and the 3DS is awesome, especially the Car Racing Game, which definitely has a more official name than that BUT I CANNOT REMEMBER IT, DON'T HATE ME NINTENDO), I will still always smile when I think of this company, and I truly believe they're doing something very, very right.
Thankfully I wasn't in Seattle alone, not because being alone in Seattle sounds all that awful, but because being in Seattle WITH AWESOME INTERNET FRIENDS I NEVER GET TO SEE sounds way better.
Now, I don't know how else to do this, so I'm just going to do it:
Awesome People I Saw In Seattle (And Why You Should Track Them Down in a City Near You*)
1. Rhiannon. Oh thank god for Rhiannon. I ran into her on the shuttle from the airport to the hotel, and I was in a very frenzied, airplane-smelly state, and I was nervous and stuttery and I'm just so glad someone I had met before was there to offer me a seat and some conversation. (We then went on to be in the same breakout group at Nintendo and then sat right next to each other at dinner Saturday night at Dahlia Lounge. FATE!)
2. Metalia. You probably think this lady is adorable and hilarious and just so damn cool, but let me burst your bubble: SHE HATES ANIMALS. Fine, I am liberally using the word hate, but at dinner Saturday, when I acted STUNNED at the confession that Metalia didn't particularly care for animals, she said, "What, I go to the zoo!" And I laughed so hard, I almost spit out the free wine and that would have been just a ridiculous tragedy.
3. Sam. Sam's intimidatingly hilarious while also being so kind, and I think that might be the most perfect combination of traits a person can have.
4. Yvonne. I had met Yvonne, briefly, at BlogHer '10 and she was very gracious and friendly, and I liked her a lot, but this time, we shared dinner together and she told our table this story, and I have NEVER LAUGHED SO HARD IN ALL MY LIFE. She's good people.
5. Emily. Elizabeth said something about Emily that is just SO TRUE: she tells the best stories. You just want to listen to her, she's so charismatic and engaging and hilarious and I didn't get to spend nearly enough time with her. October! The Blathering!
{Photo courtesy of Amy}
6. Maggie. The first time I met Maggie, back at The Blathering, First Year, she walked into Elizabeth's house and kind of intimidated me. She's just so pretty and so graceful, which sounds weird and a little creepy (sorry, Maggie!), but she just carries herself in such a way I can not relate to. Me = AWKWARD. MAGGIE = LOVELY. I think (have always thought), though, that Maggie and I would be great friends if we lived near one another. I think we have a lot in common. I think we'd have a lot to talk about. I think we'd throw a lot of parties together. I look forward to something bringing us together in the future to give us a glimpse of that.
7. Leah. I realized after dinner with Leah Thursday night that I had asked her for a bite of her dinner and a bite of her dessert. First, this is Something That I Regularly Do, you should know. My in-laws have nick-named me, "One Bite Jennie," which sounds like kind of the lamest nickname a person can get from their in-laws, but it's better than Naked Jennie, which WAS AN ACTUAL NICKNAME FOR MANY YEARS. Anyway, I realized after dinner that I had done this because I felt at ease around Leah and I don't know if she'll view that as a compliment (MY HUSBAND SURE DOESN'T WHEN I EAT HALF HIS DINNER) but it is a compliment, it really is.
{Photo courtesy of Leah}
(I absolutely love this photo because 1) Emily is missing although she was in the elevator and I think that was because of a leg cramp? Em? and 2) this was the best of Leah's bunch, meaning we are not to be trusted to pose for a photo EVER, OMG.)
9. Amy. I want to bottle Amy's personality and pass it around to people. If you ever get the chance to meet Amy, let me prepare you: she is so full of joy, it's infectious. She will charm you. She will make you laugh. You will love her. (I love her.)
{Photo courtesy of Amy}
10. TOO BRIEFLY Kerri and Jen. These ladies looked FANTASTIC but I saw them too briefly, in passing. Jen and I will make up for that next month at our Nerdy Book Gathering (BEA), but Kerri, COME TO TEXAS.
11. Erin. I had emailed with Erin (and am now properly following her everywhere I can) but she's so adorable, there are no words. Adorable! Follow her! I want to hang out again with her soon.
12. Katie. One of my very first blog friends and definitely the sender of my very first blog present and also one of my BlogHer '08 roommates, and I wasn't sure I'd get to see her this trip, but I DID, and I was so happy. Katie oozes class and I love every minute I spend with her, even if years spearate those minutes. I mean that. I adore her.
{Photo courtesy of Katie}
13. Elizabeth. Oh, Elizabeth. I truly believe that I will be friends with her for as long as I live. I believe we'll find a way to see each other every couple years, we'll care about each other's kids forever, and we'll always laugh about how lucky we are to have married such normal, nice men while we reside firmly in Crazy Town and HA HA THOSE SUCKERS MARRIED US, and I genuinely believe there's nothing I could say to Elizabeth that wouldn't make her say in return 1) well, you're nuts and 2) but I love you, still.
{Photo courtesy of Amy**}
The One I Did Not Get To See
1. Jonna. NINTENDO, appoint her a Brand Ambassador. Or see something so special within me that you'll allow me to add the stipulation that I never travel without her to all future Brand Events. Jonna's my person. No matter how much fun I'm having, I'll always wish she was there.
***
*In a very fun, "hi, I like you!" kind of way, which I feel the need to specify because the internet has acted particularly BATSHIT in 2011
**I could never be a professional blogger because I forget my CAMERA when I go to blog events. What the hell is wrong with me?