Blogging meets the Utah outdoors
August 12, 2009 by Paige Eissinger
What do you get when you mix a group of women bloggers with an outdoor retreat where they can go fly-fishing, horseback riding, hiking or even take a train ride? If you were in Utah during July, you would have found this unlikely sounding combination at the first Annual Social Media Retreat hosted by April of Sweet Life in the Valley. April blogs about her sweet life in the Utah Valley with her three daughters.
Other participants in the Social Media Retreat who blogged about their experience, shared photos of the day and even posted video are:
Kami of NoBiggie.net (who describes herself as a 31-derful mother of two and wife to one)
Janet of Newspapergrl.com (an internet marketer and press release writer)
Amy of ProgressivePioneer.com (a stay at home mom in Salt Lake City)
Lady of Perpetual Chaos (she’ll only share her dog’s name, which is Dexter) of ladyofperpetualchaos.blogspot.com
The fact that these women bloggers who spend a lot of their time online and indoors got together for a girls day outdoors is encouraging, to say the least. Many critics of online social networking have groused that it’s taken the place of face-to-face relationships and these women have proven that theory wrong. It was online social networking through their various blogs that brought them all together and none of them had any trouble meeting and talking to their sisters face-to-face in the great outdoors. You go, girls!
Members of the blogging community in Utah at the 1st Annual Social Media Retreat: Marie, Heather, Janet and April
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Paige,
Thanks for the post! Blogging is so solitary. I love events like this where we get to know other bloggers. I loved being outside and moving (most of us sit way too much and it’s tough to stay in shape). The canyon was just amazing – so was the photographer.
As a marketer I was curious what sponsors participated and to what degree they “get it.” There was quite a spectrum.
I’m hoping Sorel follows Croks lead and sends someone to give away some winter boots at our next event in January! I hear Park City Mountain is planning a day of skiing. So there are more outdoor activities to come. Let me know if you know anyone who wants to be a sponsor.
Janet
Janet, it was because of your post about the event that popped up in my Google Alerts that I found out about your wonderful day outdoors. As a blogger myself, I understand what you mean about it being a solitary activity. As a woman who has been in the outdoors all my life but has never participated in things like shooting (my favorite), fly-fishing (still haven’t done it) and hunting (went turkey hunting this spring for the first time) I am always thrilled to hear about other women, especially young women like yourselves, who have decided to get out and go play!
Thanks so much for the mention. It was so much fun learning to fly fish with my fellow women in social media. It is great to get together with others who understand what you do. We are so excited for our Winter Social Retreat that is coming up in January which will of course involve some fun outdoor winter sports.
Thanks to you, April, for sponsoring such a cool event and getting your friends away from their computers and out in the stream! I’ll be anxious to hear about your winter retreat.