The TpT Conference in Vegas

“Great with glitter, but takes the world’s worst pictures!” (My daughter’s latest description of me!)  My selfies are particularly bad, but I just can’t resist sharing some of  the fun I had last week at the first ever TpT Conference in Las Vegas!

Facebook and forums were buzzing for weeks before the conference with “What are you wearing?”, “What are you taking?”, “Want to meet up for dinner/drinks?”, and “Which sessions are you signed up for?”

As it turned out, the correct answers were: “Anything you like!”, “A paper notebook and a phone/camera.”, “Sure!”, and, “You can’t possibly make a bad choice!”. (Just in case you decide to attend next year - all answers provided way ahead of time!)

There were amazing celebrity sightings to be found wherever you turned, but the truly amazing part was that the TpT celebrities would stop for hugs and pictures over and over again. They never stopped smiling either, and those smiles came from the heart. How amazing also to meet in person formerly “imaginary friends”. People I had come to know from forum and Facebook conversations for the past two years were suddenly there and real! Making so many new friends was also exciting!

I have always attended teacher conferences with my BFF. We travel together, room together, attend sessions together, and process how we’ll use all we’ve learned together. We often present sessions together. (Wrote a book together awhile ago, too!) Although my wonderful hubby went to Vegas with me for this conference, I couldn’t take him to the sessions with me. Naturally, I felt a little alone and nervous walking into the keynote alone. That lasted about 5 seconds! Everyone in that room was a friend! Found a seat right away with an old FB friend and six brand new friends. This was repeated in every session. What a warm and welcoming group to be part of!

I did find that my decision to wear running shoes on conference day was the right one for me! Although the meeting rooms were fairly close together, it was a long walk through the hotel to get there!

Highlights for me:
Being able to thank Paul in person for the organization that he founded, making it possible for me to reach farther beyond my classroom than I could have ever imagined.

Meeting Amy in person, and watching her stop for endless hugs all day!

Dinner with TpT friends who now are friends for real.

Sessions packed with more fun and more valuable information than my brain can hold.

Some extra fun time in Vegas with hubby when the conference was over.

If you’re a seller and thinking about whether you should attend next year, the correct answer is YES!
Suggested footwear:

My shoes are the cool yellow ones! They go with everything!

Don’t hesitate for a minute.
If you’d like to be a seller on TpT, just follow this link:
Become a seller on Teachers pay Teachers!

See you at next year's conference!
#tptvegas14