RECAP: BeaulitfulCon + Writing Retreat with Mary Weber and Sara Ella! Yes, I’m spoiled.

I don’t know if you’re ready for this.

Last week I was in California, admiring palm trees, soaking up the sun, wearing flip-flops, and admiring beach sunsets. Meanwhile it was -3°F degrees back home. Ask me if I missed it. Go ahead, ask me.

So why was I in California? Why to visit Mary Weber and Sara Ella for a writing retreat and to attend BeaulitfulCon. Duh. ? “Epic” doesn’t even begin to describe this trip. I know recap posts are probably boring for you because they’re basically all about me. But I can’t help myself with this one. I have to share the adventure(s).

Buckle up.

ADVENTURE #1: Nadine missbooked her flight

Yes, you read that right. I missbooked my flight to this conference. Original plan had been to hop on a plane and arrive at Mary Weber’s little house. Simple. Easy. Perfect.

The new plan after calling several airline companies and begging for help: I flew to LAX and then rode a train for 7 hours to Mary’s house. xD This was actually quite fitting because I visited Harry Potter World later on this trip, so I needed a good long Hogwarts Express ride. Plus, I got writing done.

ADVENTURE #2: Writing retreat with two crazy unicorn herders.

I met up with my fellow unicorn-herders, Mary Weber and Sara Ella for the writing retreat of all writing retreats (which is code for donuts, pizza, and late night chats…and no actual writing.) I hadn’t seen Mary for a year and a half and I can never get enough of Sara, so this was as delightful as you would expect.

Despite the donuts and pizza and soul-talk, we actually did get writing done. I’ve only just started my newest work-in-progress (details to come after Fawkes releases!) and it was so fun to talk about the story with these two and hear their excitement. Sometimes you never really know if your idea is any good until you run it by someone else–especially if that someone is two writing sisters who totally know your heart.

After two days of PJs and writing, we packed up all our stuff and headed to Los Angeles to start the madness.

ADVENTURE #3: Yer a Wizard, Nadine.

A photo of my hand…just for you.

The first full day in L. A. we headed to Harry Potter World, not just because we wanted to wear robes and drink butterbeer, but also because this was the first meet-up day for BeaulitfulCon! We connected with so many amazing business owners who spend their lives inspiring readers, supporting authors, and exploring the world of imagination. Among the group were the BeaulitfulCon heads, Benita (@bookbeau) and Justine (@thebookishbox.) Also known as two of the kindest and most caring people out there.

And a quick thank you to Michelle from Chick Lit Designs for snapping this photo of me and Mary posing on top of the Ford Angelina from Harry Potter. Admit it, we make it look so much cooler. Especially with Harry bombing the photo in the background. ? (It’s not my fault that my inner dork comes out with Harry Potter stuff.)

One particularly exciting surprise was to see the crew from Owl Crate. I hadn’t known they were going to attend HP World and it took everything within me not to fangirl all over them. As you know from my post about Christmas gifts for bookworms, I adore Owl Crate. Not only did they have a wonderful vision and story behind their book subscription box, but they were also so sweet!! The kind of people you want to be friends with forever. I mean, we drank Butterbeer together and rode on a ride without throwing up so that means we’re besties now, right?

And in case you’re wondering if we did anything else besides visiting with awesome people, well…I think I’ll let these photos speak for themselves.

If you give a girl a wizard cloak…

Only Mary is strong enough to keep her pose.

May I introduce you to the nicest conductor in the history of ever?

Sara the Serious.

Mary the Magical

Nadine the Nadine.

This is why I love Mary.

Yes, I took this while we rode a roller coaster. No, I did not drop my phone. Be impressed. 😛

Their FIRST. BUTTERBEERS. EVER.

ADVENTURE #4: BeaulitfulCon

Okay…the day of theme parking ended and we entered the next adventure: BeaulitfulCon. The event that inspired this entire wild adventure.

The space was limited to about 125 people and lined with bookish shops, panels of brilliant bookworms, and adorable goodie bags. *swoon* This made things seem intimate and personal–more like a reunion of online friends finally meeting in person and supporting each other. I finally finally LexyOlivia got to meet Lexy from who is seriously one of the most joyful and kind people you’ll ever meet. Did I mention that her bookmarks are GOLD? I own about 8 billion of them. ❤️

Another person I finally got to hug in person was Kaylan from In The Wick of Time–my go-to bookish candle shop. She is lovely and such a genuine person. I totally stalked her candle booth because I couldn’t get enough of her amazing scents and I probably would have just lived there if given the chance.

Just before the end of the con, I snagged Carmen from OhtheBookFeels on Instagram on her way out because we actually live very close to one another! Small world! She was so friendly and she was also a panelist, sharing all her brilliant Instagram knowledge.

Are you sick of photos yet? ONE MORE. JUST ONE MORE! So many friends and Realmies showed up to BeaulitfulCon–more than I expected to see–and it was such a joy to visit with Heidi Wilson (one of my ninjas!), fellow Enclave author Lindsay Franklin, Elizabeth VanTassel, Ashley Townsend (also known as my fangirl sister for life), and Kara Swanson.

Usually when I go to conferences or events, I have my idea of what the trip will be like. And the trips are ALWAYS different than what I pictured. The moment I saw the first post about BeaulitfulCon, I started counting down the days. “Excited” barely scrapes the surface of my feelings about this event. And I’ll admit, I had SUPER high hopes going in to it. I was incapable of taming that hope, so it was kind of scary when the day finally came and I was going to see how things ACTUALLY went.

BeaulitfulCon blew me away. Whatever my high hopes had been, they were exceeded a hundred fold. It was everything I’d hoped for and every type of surprise I would hope for. It was the perfect start to a new year with new friendships and new vision.

Benita and Justine outdid themselves. It was so clear that they cared more about the attendees than any other aspect of the con. Their focus was PEOPLE. And we all felt it. Their hearts ran this conference and I went home with an experience and with memories that could never be matched. They did something no one has ever done before.

So let’s all raise a Butterbeer and give them a cheer. Here’s to next time.

Thank you for letting me share this adventure with you.

What is one adventure or trip in your life that ended up exceeding your expectations?

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