Apparently, I’m about to take this whole blogging thing a little more seriously.

Blogging had always been something I wanted to do, ever since I heard about the whole Web Log trend over a decade ago.

“What? Writing and talking about myself  happen to be two of my favorite things! I’d be the perfect blogger!” thought Amy, sensing this was the most perfect pairing since Cheez-Its and red wine.

It just took 10 years for me to actually stop talking about it and launch the thing.

So while I’m still pretty impressed with myself for even following through on my threat to overshare publicly, I’ve learned that there are some tricks involved for becoming a successful blogger (whatever that exactly means) and I want to learn more.

So I’m getting picked up at 4 a.m. tomorrow to head to Chicago for the first of a three-day bloggerfest called BlogHer. The Big Kahuna of blog conferences (I read somewhere on the Internet) BlogHer brings together over 4,000 (mostly female) bloggers and gives them a few days stuffed with networking, sponsorship opportunities, breakout sessions like “Grow & Monetize Your E-Mail List” and “Roundtable: A Case for Podcasting” and hopefully, a big dose of inspiration.

It’s terrifying.

(Side note: My 20-year-old son, upon learning what BlogHer was all about, said, “Sounds like a nightmare.”)

Frankly, I signed up in June when I saw on Facebook (ironically) that Sheryl Sandberg was to be one of this year’s keynote speakers.

Sign #1.

Then I find out after the flights were booked and the dye was cast that The Pioneer Woman – Ree Drummond – was also set to speak.

Sign #2.

And finally, the speaker closing out the conference on Saturday is one of the writers/producers of The Walking Dead (you don’t even know how much I love zombies).

The Universe wanted me, no NEEDED ME, to go to this thing.

So I’m off on my first of two big adventures this summer (I’ll share more about my Shirley Valentine-style getaway next week), with my fancy new camera bought for both missions and some cute outfits, including a darling pair of shorts I bought at JCrew yesterday to wear to BlogHer’s evening activities and fabulous necklaces, compliments of my sister-in-law.

I’d be a full-on liar if I didn’t tell you that I’m a little nervous to show up in a strange city and not know even one of the 4,000 ladies there (I mean, I do know Sheryl and Ree but we might not be hanging out much). My stomach has been a mess all week.

But that’s how serious I am about this blog and my writing. I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t push to see how far I could take this thing.

And maybe, in the end, my blog will turn out to be just a fun thing I did that resonated with a few people other than my mom and BFFs (a guy at a party I went to last weekend called me the Carrie Bradshaw of our little town, and that was pleasing).

If nothing else, it’s three solid days sans sandwich making or laundry folding, and that’s a win right there.

I’ll keep you posted.