TO RWA or NOT TO RWA... That is the question.
Are you going to RWA in Washington DC this year? I'd planned on going for no other reason than to meet up with some of my blogger buddies and to see DC. Originally GG was going to go too. DC is a city he had visited years ago (years and years!) and wanted a chance to go back and see the sights again.
Just before Christmas we found out GG and everyone else at his company, and I do mean everyone, was getting a 10% pay cut in January 2009. You don't have to worry or feel sorry for us, we are fine, but it does mean we have to give a second or third thought before making plans for a trip.
GG tells me to go ahead and spend the money and go to DC. However, he doesn't want to spend the money to join me on the trip. Frankly, I don't really feel all that great spending money for a trip for that was supposed to be for both of us. (Mother guilt anyone?)
While I haven't made a firm decision one way or the other yet. It has me thinking, thinking about what my rationale or reasons for going to RWA really are. I have to admit meeting the authors is lots of fun. I enjoyed a couple of the lectures as well. Meeting other bloggers? Well that was the absolute best part of the trip to San Francisco last year.
So are you thinking about it? Are the economic times playing a part in your decision? Should I tell you that I went to the RWA site and saw that Linda Howard (Linda freaking Howard!) is going to be one of the luncheon keynote speakers? Janet Evanovich, Eloisa James and Anne Stuart are speaking as well. The angst! The drama! The indecision!
What would be your reasons for going to RWA? Are you going to be having lunch with Linda Howard this summer?
Courtesy of AllPosters.com
Do you sense the big "BUT" in there?
Cuz there is one. Har.
Just before Christmas we found out GG and everyone else at his company, and I do mean everyone, was getting a 10% pay cut in January 2009. You don't have to worry or feel sorry for us, we are fine, but it does mean we have to give a second or third thought before making plans for a trip.
GG tells me to go ahead and spend the money and go to DC. However, he doesn't want to spend the money to join me on the trip. Frankly, I don't really feel all that great spending money for a trip for that was supposed to be for both of us. (Mother guilt anyone?)
While I haven't made a firm decision one way or the other yet. It has me thinking, thinking about what my rationale or reasons for going to RWA really are. I have to admit meeting the authors is lots of fun. I enjoyed a couple of the lectures as well. Meeting other bloggers? Well that was the absolute best part of the trip to San Francisco last year.
So are you thinking about it? Are the economic times playing a part in your decision? Should I tell you that I went to the RWA site and saw that Linda Howard (Linda freaking Howard!) is going to be one of the luncheon keynote speakers? Janet Evanovich, Eloisa James and Anne Stuart are speaking as well. The angst! The drama! The indecision!
What would be your reasons for going to RWA? Are you going to be having lunch with Linda Howard this summer?
Posted by Rosie at 12:01 AM
17 Comments:
I'm going to driiiiiiiiiiiiink!!! ;-)
I will be going even with me buying a condo this year :D It is a bit cheaper for me since I can drive and don't have to take a plane.
Rosie, you were the best roomie for that week :D
Gabrielle, dude! You're going to be there?
Kb, yeah driving last year made it very doable for Wendy and I. I'm dithering. Hopefully I'll make le grande decision this week.
I wanted to go, and we were going to do the same thing - Bob was going to come with me and we were going to make a vacation out of it. But, with the economy as is, and given that RWA isn't the same weekend it was last year, we just can't swing it this year. DC is one of the most expensive cities in the country. It's just not worth it. I'll have to wait till it's in a less expensive city. *pout*
I wonder if their attendance will be down this year, just because of the expense of DC?
So cool! i didn't realize it was in Washington this year... that's not too far... However, I'll have to see my finances ^_^; not sure I'll be able to make it :(
I'm really curious about attendance this year as well Lori. The crappy economy has a lot of people tightening their belts. I'm wondering if D.C. will be more heavily loaded with east coast authors, and some of the west coast folks will stay away? It certainly was convenient last year for me and Rosie to drive!
Rosie: Not to torture you but Linda Howard spoke at the Librarian Event several years back. She's very funny, and has the greatest southern accent. I left that experience feeling guilty that I'm not a Linda Howard fangirl - because she really was very charming.
I'm going to D.C. I'm currently justifying the expense by saying it's "good for my job." Which it is. But I also love catching up with my online buds.
At the time of the last RWA conference I was ABSOLUTELY going to DC. Wild horses couldn't have kept me away. However....now with the economy doing so badly (which means my hubby's job is slow, slow, slow) I just don't know if I can do it. I'm thinking about it but I don't know that it's something I can pull off. I really want to though! Decisions, decisions!
I'm on the fence as well. I haven't been before and I really want to go. But initially MM and I discussed making it a family vacation. With the economy being what it is, we really can't afford to make it a family trip. MM says I should go anyway, but..well, Mother's Guilt indeed.
If I do go, I'm going to have to find a roommate. And..I don't know. It seems like an awful lot to spend.
But..LINDA FREAKING HOWARD!
Well, I am selfish and hope that everyone comes. *g* Because I live about 1.5 hours drive away and will definitely be swinging by at some point during the con to hang with whomever cool peeps I know who are there. Can't afford to go to the event itself, but it's all about the blogger get-togethers anyways. ;)
Lori, you make so much sense, and yet... I'm still tempted.
Nath, I did some math in my head, but I haven't sat down with a calculator and my budget yet.
Wendy, TOO LATE! I'm already tortured. I think crossing it off the list would be easy if not for LH. Dammit!
Tracy, the darn economy, right? It makes it so hard, and then GG says 'go'. I haven't a clue what I'm going to do.
Holly, That's what I'm sayin' LINDA FREAKING HOWARD! How cool would it be to be sitting next to each other at lunch listening to LH speak?
Sula, I'd like nothing better than to see you counting down the days to wedded bliss.
Am I going to be there? Hells yeah!! And I'm staying with T. for a week or so early July, so we'll definitely be catching up. I miss my US family!!
Gabrielle, tell T. she has to share!
Dang. I want to go! Forget Howard though, I'll be stalking Anne Stuart!
I'll have to look at the forward plans - if it's the closest to me it's ever really going to get then I should definitely attempt. But our summer is short and I don't want to lose pool time.
Why couldn't it be in February!
And I'd be going to meet bloggers. And stalk AS but I already mentioned that ;)
CindyS
Holy Crap on a Cracker!! Do you have to pay the registration fee? 500 bucks!? I guess I could set up shop in another hotel and then hang out in the RWA hotel lobby. Geez, I was thinking a train ticket and a room with my Bob for a grand total of 500 bucks. Ouch!
Yes, dear Cindy, it tis indeed $500 to register. That's for all the functions, luncheons and awards banquet the final evening. Now, you can go to the book signing thing-y where you buy the books for free. All the publisher give aways you can't get in without being registered.
Ron and I didn't travel much. A couple of years before he died, I wanted to travel to the east coast of Canada so bad I almost begged him but he put me off saying we would go when he retired. But he never made it to retirement. That taught me a lesson. If I really want to go somewhere; do something - I'm going to do it because I might not get a second chance. I won't put off something I really want anymore. Now I'm in the fortunate position to be able to afford it - but even if it was difficult, I would still work on a way to go.
But - that's me. I'd say if GG is encouraging you to go - then go for it! Plus - I want to see you again!!
Kristie, we are factoring the "what if this were the last time" into our decision. In fact we were talking about it in just that way last night. I just want to do the right thing, ya know?
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