Out of my comfort zone

As you read this, I'm aboard an airplane in route to New Orleans. The Blathering weekend is finally here and my stomach is in knots over it. I left my baby girl for the first time today. Well, that's not true. I left her for an overnight work trip to Chicago last spring and our anniversary trip to Vail in July. But still! It feels like I'm leaving her for the first time and it hurts just the same. I know Tory will be fine with Andi all weekend and I know she's probably too young to realize how long I'm away from her but GULP, I'm missing out on three days of my baby's life!

On the reverse, I'm also reeeally excited to have an entire weekend all to myself. To meet my e-BFFs in the real live flesh. To drink fancy cocktails and eat beignets and sleep late if I want to (although I doubt we'll be doing much of that). I don't think I've ever been on an official girl's weekend away, at least to somewhere fancier than Des Moines, and it's going to be lovely to recharge myself. Plus, I've never been to New Orleans so I'm excited to go sightseeing and for the craziness of Bourbon Street. That said, I not a big fan of crowds and stupid, drunk people so maybe I'm not so excited for Bourbon Street? Everyone should see it once, right? I'm excited for that part.

I'm a jeans and a t-shirt kind of girl, so wardrobe choices for this trip were stressing me out big time. All the talk on Twitter was of sparkly heels, sequins and jewelry - things I do not own and wish not to purchase. I attempted to go shopping at Mall of America on Monday but with Andi traveling this week, I had to take Tory with me. You can imagine how much fun I had trying on clothes while body-blocking my toddler from escaping underneath the dressing room walls. I walked away with a few dresses from Old Navy (essentially every single one that's featured on their website cover, oops. Hope no one else had the same idea or that'll be awkward)! The weather's suppose to be 75 and beautiful, but my brain has already transitioned to winter wear so that's a bit of a challenge as well. I packed a blazer and jeans and I'll probably be sweating to death, but oh well. It is what it is and I'm already packed. DONE. (I did throw in a sequin Express tank from 2002 so at least I'll have some sparkly back-up if push comes to shove. I knew there was a reason I hung on to that for the last ten years).

Andi seems to think we'll all be boozy and wild this weekend. Mothers cut loose on vacation, he says. Maybe that'll be the case. Maybe not. I have been working to increase my drinking tolerance to two glasses of wine in preparation. I keep repeating the same mantra to myself: Do not be hungover. Step out of your comfort zone. Talk to people! Do not appear snotty. HAVE FUN.

Here I go!