I’m sitting here; waiting to drop my daughter off so I can “officially” get ready for Blogalicious.  Then the group feed hands me the weather; it’s raining in San Antonio which is not really an anomaly, but definitely a bummer.

I don’t know if you can see it, but I can.

A sweet San Antonio night on the Riverwalk.  There’s a breeze; the feeling of sisterhood embraces me.  I become the very best version of myself while loving my place in the collective.  Tasty drinks arrive and I laugh at something I said; confidently, but not unexpectedly.  This is my day.

This is how I’m envisioning my Blogalicious Riverwalk Chat.  I already see myself in the sexy summer dress, drink in my hand, confidently conveying to those around me how they can be with me and my fellow panelists talking about Authentic Storytelling: Being Wonderfully, Beautifully You.

That was my vision for this weekend when I first got the news that I’d be speaking at Blogalicious.  I was all ready for the hot, sexy time I was going to have being in the spotlight.  And here life goes again.  Handing me rain.

But here I go again; telling life, “Rain! I’ve seen monsoons the likes of which would have drowned others.  You are but a cold shower, a moist afterthought.  This is where I live.“

Almost never the Negative Nelly, I’ve got to tell you that I’ve weathered quite the storm to get to this conference.  I’m tired, funds are iffy, I’m actually too busy to take days off especially since my momentum is at a canon ball level.  My daughter’s life has been anything but solid, and, of course, with this shift in weather I now need to do laundry because I don’t have any cold weather clothes I haven’t worn around the city for at least three days sans soap.

However, that isn’t the storm; nah.  Dirty clothes and a empty bank account can’t really slow my roll.  What I’m talking are all the times when I got knocked down, got up, and then got knocked the fugg out one mo’ gin (that’s one more again).  And after losing jobs, sleeping on couches, crying, ruining my street cred because I had to ask even though I knew I shouldn’t…ya girl is going to Blogalicious as a speaker!  (This is where I start a little eye rain of my own.)

You can read here that at the beginning of the year I decided I would be speaking this year. This conference marks my third as a panelist and my first holding it down solo!  Come ON!  And TO MENTION (not “not to mention”) I just came from hosting my own event.  WHAT?

Yes. Rain be damned…because I am building a virtual ark.  Taking small steps here and there such that when it does rain I have a skill or two and a networked connection somewhere that will keep me moving forward.  Forward doesn’t mean no storms, but it does mean I will bring my boots and my happy dance because a little bit of water can’t stop, won’t stop Ella Rucker.

I don’t want it to rain at Blogalicious.  I still want to bask in the sunlight whilst sipping my drink, but a sistah will take a heated pool and an adult beverage!  No matter what the weather, I can weather it; and when I do I will come out on the other side wonderfully, beautifully me.

I wrote this before I went to Blogalicious, but posted way after I returned.  Weather was lovely and the conference was all that I wanted it to be. More so, I was totally who I wanted to be.

You can click this pic for more details on my trip!