I was lucky enough to be among the many happy Rainers to attend Raincamp Dallas this week, and despite the sunny weather there, which had indeed melted away their recent snow, I came away from the experienced soaked to the bone in ActiveRain and loved every minute of it!

True confession, after spending some time away from the ActiveRain family this past year, dealing with multiple family emergencies, attempting to hone my craft and learn more about technology, I almost didn't go to this event. After all, like many, my life is a bit complicated right now, and there is so much to do, that I could have easily justified spending my time in other ways. What was I thinking??

As if being woken from a dream with a bucket of rain in my face, I snapped out of the grind I had been stagnating in, registered for camp, grabbed an office mate, and headed to Dallas, to put an end to the drought that had so obviously taken hold of my mind. Thank Goodness I came to my senses!

What awaited me in Dallas was even more than I could have hoped for. Despite some technical difficulties that kept a good deal of us from having Internet access most the day, Raincamp Dallas , was in my opinion, a huge success! For me personally, this means that I got what I expected or more, for what I gave. The location was central, the event hall, technical difficulties aside, was quite nice, and had ample amenities as well. But the true magic, the quenching if you will, was the event itself, which was as you might expect, outstanding! Add to that, the opportunity to meet & swap thoughts with some of my AR & Blogging Hero's, and it's easy to see why I found myself singing in the rain all the way back home to Austin!

Ben Kinney was our main host of the day. Ben blew in like a whirlwind, and kept us stirred up all day with more information in a few hours than I have received in multiple days at other technology workshops costing much more! Bob Stewart played thunder to Ben's lightning, and like the mingling of a couple of mixed pressure systems, a near perfect storm was created by this dynamic duo! There were many guest to be sure, but my favorites had to be AR Ambassador & Rock Star Jason Crouch, and my other Technology Hero of these times Brad Andersohn, who was so very gracious in our meeting, as well as being his usual incredibly helpful self!

When my head wasn't blowing up from questions that were being answered, and ideas being born and hurriedly scribbled down for future implementation, I grabbed the chance to connect to those around me, mingling with other rain drops, gathering in puddles all around, planning our next storms, and networking for future business. All this in the friendliest, most overwhelmingly supportive and helpful environment one could ever hope for.

When all was said and done, it truly was like a storm had washed over me, cleaning out the cobwebs of uncertainty and procrastination, and filling me with a fresh sense of purpose and pride. The Active Rain storm had passed, but the benefits of that incredible day of showers will be evident for me in blog blooms and other finery for years to come.

Thinking about going to Raincamp? Don't hesitate!! From one rain drop to another - we truly are better when we work together, and it is ALWAYS a great day to play in the rain! Thanks ActiveRain!