I’ve come blogging with exciting news!

I’m going to Toronto!

That’s where TBEX, the Travel Bloggers Conference, is being held this year, and since I’ve launched, well, this travel blog, I thought it would be a good idea to meet fellow travel bloggers and see what the industry is all about.

I’ve been hesitant to register for some reason. I guess it was a combination of not wanting to travel alone (Jen can’t make it,) expense, and fear of the unknown.

I don’t know any other travel bloggers. I’m not sure what the conference is all about. Do I belong there? Will I feel out of place? Alone? Is it worth the money? The time? Etc., etc., etc.

I finally decided to go, and I embarked on a virtual journey to make TBEX in Toronto happen.

1. Flights

Have you heard of Hipmunk yet? It’s my new favorite way to search for air travel. It’s interface is so intuitive! And it displays massive amounts of filterable data in an easy-to-read graph structure.

THIS is what happens when visual designers and usability experts bang heads the right way. I was able to find multiple flight options from multiple airports all within the same result set.

I booked my flight on Air Canada.

Step 1 complete.

2. Hotel

Since the plane ticket costs more then I anticipated, I had to be a bit conservative on my hotel choice. I’ll be staying 3 nights and even with a conference rate, that adds up to a high bill and fast!

I checked out the conference lodging page and saw this…

A Backpackers Inn? Is that a hostel? I’ve never stayed in a hostel before! I think it’s about time to step out of my comfort zone yet again. For almost the same price of 1 night in a traditional hotel I was able to book all 3 at the Inn in a private room!

I booked it.

Step 2 complete.

This is really going to be an adventure!

3. Conference Registration!

I got so wrapped up in making travel arrangements I almost forgot to actually register for the conference. With a discounted rate of $97, I’m now registered for (as far as I know) the largest travel bloggers conference in the world.

Step 3 complete.

Wish me luck and I’ll keep you posted as the trip approaches. This one is going to be a solo adventure!