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It’s been a combination of time passing and just being at a loss for words to describe Fitbloggin’ 2012. It was epic. It was wonderful. It was moving. It was inspiring. It was RENEWING.

Last year, I felt like I approached Fitbloggin’ on a high. I felt like a champion. I felt like I belonged there. This year, I sort of slunk in sideways, not quite sure. It’s been a challenging year in many ways and I haven’t been either as fit or as bloggy as I’d like to have been. So I wasn’t sure if I really Belonged.

Which turned out to be such an echoey theme among so many of my friends. And voicing this was what made it amazingly turn around and make it stunningly obvious that this was precisely what meant that we DID belong, absolutely, with each other. The final part of my performance included a (added at the last minute) a bit about being SO nervous about coming to Fitbloggin. About considering breaking my leg so I’d have an “excuse” for my decreased fitness. I crawled under a chair to hide, wondering, “Who cares if I’m here?”

As it turned out, plenty of people cared. And what mattered more, I cared that THEY were there. It really mattered. And when I crawled out from under the chair and off the stage, I knew I belonged.

It was encouraging. It was sweating together, in ways that made us comfortable, and ways that made us push the limits. I loved the Crossfit workout and the sweaty jumpy trampoline workout.  l loved the Fitbloggin’ 5k along the waterfront, following Sheryl aka Bitchcakes in her hot pink outfit. I only regret that I had to RUSH to the airport so I couldn’t watch all the finishers come in. Next year, I’m leaving later!

There were talks about improving one’s blog. Making money and getting sponsors and adding video and such. I didn’t really go to any of those. Do I want to improve my blog? How much do I want to blog? Since I’ve been back I’ve wanted to blog a lot more.

The best part of Fitbloggin, was, of course, the people.  It was really fantastic to be seeing friends I haven’t seen in a year (many of whom I met for the first time last year), and to meet new people. There wasn’t nearly enough TIME to spend one on one time with all the people I longed to talk to and visit with. But I was grateful to hang out with, work out and sweat with, laugh and cry with these folks.

It all went by wayy too fast. I felt like every minute was jam-packed with information, people, hugs, working out. I wanted to blog during the weekend but seriously, there was barely a moment to pee, let alone blog.

I am thrilled to pieces that Fitbloggin 2013 is going to be on MY coast, in Portland, Oregon! YEAH baby!!!!! I am completely excited about this. Many of my East coast buds are bemoaning the cost of traveling cross-country. I get that. I really do. But I did it twice! You all can do it. I also really recommend starting to save/fundraise NOW. Did you know that Indiegogo is a perfect venue for raising funds? Come on people. Don’t be shy. Put it on your blog. Put it out there how MUCH you, your blog readers and the Universe will benefit from your attendance there. Tell them you HAVE to come, or I will be very very sad. Get ready now because Fitbloggin’ West is going to be the most amazing thing ever.

And if there’s one word I want to hear banished from EVERYone’s vocabulary, including mine: “worthy.” As in “not worthy” of being there. I can’t even count how many times I read and heard that word before, during and after the weekend. Damnit people, we are ALL worthy. This is what makes Fitbloggin’ so amazing and beautiful- everyone coming together in their shared desire to be healthy and strong. None of us are perfect or even close. We all have our flaws and our moments of falling down. And then we all come together to pick each other back up again. I know I feel incredibly uplifted. And I can’t wait to do it all again.

BE EPIC.