One of the highlights of my blogging life happened last weekend – September 21-23, 2012 –when I attended the first ever Blog Weekend Bootcamp in Mindanao. It’s a 3-day live-in conference that delves into the different facets of blogging. About more or less hundred bloggers from different corners of Mindanao gathered up in this quiet and siren sanctuary of Malagos Garden Resort in Calinan, Davao City. Everyone came in the hopes of getting the best of both worlds – Education and Vacation.

Bloggers, Organizers, Speakers! One Big Happy Family! =)

I was really happy to have attended the bootcamp. See, I am the only blogger in the family. I’m not sure if that’s a big deal, but sometimes, I kinda get bummed when no one in the house could relate to what I’m doing. In fact, I’m not even sure if I have relatives who blog. Not that I think of. Anyway, as I have said, I was really psyched to be drowned in a crowd of people where you don’t need to explain yourself and the things you do. I guess that’s the best thing about the bootcamp; being able to socialize with people who understand your infatuation over blogging. If blogging was a guy, I'd be the clingy girlfriend.

Of course, I am also very thankful to the speakers who shared their knowledge and expertise in this industry. I had the opportunity to be mentored by  Janette Toral (Author and E-Commerce Consultant), Jojie Alcantara (Journalist, Photographer, PR and Creative Consultant), Justin Cooke (Chief Idea generator of Adsense Flippers), Kring Elenzano ( Director, Producer, Actress, Host and Vlogger), Roy Geonzon (President of the KBP) and  Jay Frank De-Jesus ( Emerging Media Specialist, U.S. Embassy). They discussed everything a blogger needs to know such as the loops and folds of photo and video blogging, niche blogging, blogger ethics, how to be a digital influencer, and the best practices in social media. By the way, the participants were given the choice to go for either a Beginner Track or Advanced Track. I went for the Advanced, because yeah, I’m ambitious like that. =)



Listening to these people made me realize how little I know about blogging. Sure, I’ve been blogging since Friendster days, which is roughly 7 to 8 years running (you’re not calculating my age, are you?) but I feel like I have not truly made something out of it. After the bootcamp, I felt more inspired to blog. It encouraged me to raise the bar and make something worth it. No, not earn money, although maybe in the future. But what I want to achieve now is for my words to become an inspiration for others. I have several blogs at hand. I have a beauty blog, a book blog, a food blog, and this, which I’m now turning into an inspiration blog. It is my genuine wish to inspire people and touch their hearts in the simple ways that I can.

I am a blogger. And if this is really what I do best, then surely I must use it for the greater good. It might sound cheesy, but the 3-day conference totally changed me, in the blogger side of things, that is. There are thousands of bloggers out there. I don't want to be part of the "ordinary". I want to stand out. It's gonna be hard, I know. But I'll get there someday. =)