I fit right in!

So I went to this incredible Vegan Media conference, and met all sorts of amazing, motivating movers and shakers, and connected with so many exciting brands and bloggers, and saw so many inspiring talks and panels, and came away with all this enthusiasm!

And then, I got home, and whattaya know, I’ve barely blogged at all since I’ve been back. What’s up with that?

I couldn’t tell you. I do know that I have a lot going on in my personal life right now — coming back right in time for finals and all that grading to do, still trying to figure out if I should exit with a Masters or stay on to get a PhD, still trying to figure out what I’m going to do for work and how I’m ever going to make it in this crazy expensive town, and caught up in so much serious Adulting-type business, with my Portland house switching tenants and also needing major repairs, and trying to do all that from afar. And also eviction. Here in our little side-by-side dream cottages, Jeremy and I still wait every day for the 60-day notice that we know is coming, sometime soon.

So yeah, I have a lot of anxiety and angst and inner turmoil going on right now, all of these big decisions and trying to figure out how to like, do Life.

Anyway, I wanted to acknowledge that, and let you know that I have about a bazillion and one blog posts boiling in the back of my mind – as always. I just haven’t had as much time or energy to devote lately. And hopefully that will change soon! Things are sorting and settling already . . . mostly.

Okay, so with that said, let’s talk about Austin and VVC! We got in on Tuesday night, so I got to spend my first few days just bumming around enjoying the city. I still had lots of work to do on my presentation, which meant mornings and nights eating out and exploring Austin, with daytime for working. Plus, I had so much fun just hanging with the ladyblogger crew back at the Tiny Trailer we were all sharing!

Brekkies at Bouldin Creek Café our first morning in town.


Working on my talk out in the warm humidity (I loved it!) at the trailer. The kitty is a stray who hangs around the trailer, and she was just the sweetest thing. We named her Taquito, because Taco Cleanse.


Dinner at Bistro Vonish with the trailer-mates, and old Portland friends (now Ausinites) Joanna and Milo.


One of the many amazing dishes we had that night. This was seared radicchio with blistered tomatoes and green lentils over crisp rice cakes, with a peach-balsamic vinaigrette.


And after dinner, we got to feed these two little beauties behind the restaurant. Ain’t they the sweetest??


That face!


Breakfast artichoke enchiladas at Mother’s Cafe.


And more work in my adorable room at the Tiny Trailer. The room is literally a few inches bigger than the bed, which basically fills it completely. I shared these quarters with the awesome Miss Caroline.


The Tiny Trailer vegan ladyblogger crew takes the co op! (All my trailer-mates pictured here, from left to right: Joni, Caroline, Jackie, and Nicole all the way in from Berlin!)


And Joni even picked up a can of vegan “tuna” for Taquito! Alas, she was . . . underwhelmed.




And then it was time! For the first official day of Vida Vegan Con III, and the first ever Vegan Bazaar – an afternoon of food and drinks, speakers and panels, samples and socializing, and a whole big ballroom full of awesome vegan businesses hawking their wares!



Getting ready in the Tiny Trailer on the morning of the Bazaar, clothes and bags and makeup and bras and women women, everywhere!




In the entryway of the Bazaar, the entire line of Miyoko’s Artisan Cheeses, out for tasting. AMAZING.


Heidi and her sister, from Heidi Ho cheeses, sampling her line on the main floor. There were so many vegan products and entrepreneurs there!


Kickin’ butt with Kat from Kick Butt vegan cowboy boots.


I was so happy to attend my friend Bianca’s kombucha-making demo, because she also did a segment on home-fermented ginger beer which was so exciting and inspiring! Totally going to do this during the summer. YES. Thanks Bianca!


And then it was my turn! I sat on the parenting panel and I was soooo nervous! The thing was on a freaking STAGE! In a huge THEATRE. And I’ve never really done something on that level before, so I was super nervous. But it was amazingly thrilling, and by the end I was like “Come out to the lobby, let’s keep talking about this!” because there were so many questions and I was having so much fun. Also, Joanna was the moderator, and it was extra special because Joanna and I have sat on the parenting panel together at every single Vida Vegan Con, since the very beginning. ♥


And after it was all done! The parenting panel shares a beer, haha. My compatriots were Brian “The Sexy Vegan” Patton, and Monique “Brown Vegan” Koch. They were both so awesome, and the three of us each brought a totally different perspective and set of life experiences. I had such a blast, and was proud to speak alongside these two!

As a whole, the Bazaar was such a fun afternoon. If you’re interested, Jason made a pretty cool video (even interviewed me for a quick sec!) which shows a lot more of the event:





After all the excitement of the day, the event was winding down, and we were ready for a real meal. We hightailed it over to Counter Culture for some good grub and great company.



Tempeh reuben + Cesar salad.


Mr “Sexy Vegan” along with the Tiny Trailer ladyblogger crew.

And that, was that. Coming soon, the conference!

And until then — have a great weekend!

♥

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