What bittersweetness.

I had no idea what to expect, y'know, since I'm just to the side of the whole blogging universe. I don't consider myself a blogger; I'm just a guy who writes code for a living and has kids and happens to be married to someone who discovered that her blog was a gateway to discovering what she wanted to do with her life. But I do have a blog, and I do write in it, from time to time. So maybe that was enough to find friends or at least people to hang with while my wife did her thing. And if nothing else, I was in NYC, where the challenge is picking which thing to do. Right? So I could go to this blogging conference and have a good time, right?

Little did I know that among the thousands of attendees were real people whom I would be honored to call my friends. I should rephrase -- I knew they were real, I just didn't know they would be so warm and kind to me, inviting and joking and laughing with me, sharing some moments of their whirlwind tour of the blogosphere with me. To all of you, and you know who you are, thank you, because you remind me that I'm not just a nerd. I had a Theatre minor, for God's sake, I love connecting with people and I love stories.

The last five years have been a tornado of their own, getting married, moving, more kids, working, trying to get some sleep. I feel like I've been cocooned, transforming my family from a concept to a reality, watching as they all sprout wings and fly; all attention inward, nourishing them. Now, as their colors flourish and the shell gets brittle, I find myself rediscovering the world around me, dusting off old interests and welcoming new friends.

I'm back now. Full circle. Swept up into the atmosphere, deposited home. Thrilled to know all of you, missing you all being a txt away.

What bittersweetness.