Going to Fitness Magazine's 2014 Blogger Meet & Tweet in New York City

In October, I went on an exciting trip to New York City for Fitness Magazine’s 2014 Blogger Meet & Tweet. I was so honored to be invited by Fitness to this annual event for the second time.

It was held at the Mercedes Club, an upscale fitness facility. The day included four presentations: “The New Formula for Fitness Success,” with trainer Holly Rilinger; “CrossFit, Mud Runs, Marathons! How to Stay Healthy in a Hard-Core World,” with Marci Goolsby, M.D.; “Eat Healthier, Live Happier: Game-Changing Cooking Secrets,” with Carla Hall, a chef and host of The Chew; and a panel discussion, “My Digital Brand is My Business,” with three successful bloggers. After each talk, the audience had a chance to ask questions of the speakers.

One of the best parts about events like this is the opportunity to meet other bloggers and talk shop. And it’s always so cool to finally see in person those you’ve been following on social media. Now that I’ve been to a few blogger events, I realize that it’s a surprisingly small world in the fitness blogosphere, and it’s fun to meet old friends and make new ones at each one.

A highlight was getting to meet TV’s Carla Hall, who was warm and down-to-earth — and she actually chatted with me for a few minutes! She was so charming, I was completely mesmerized. Later, after I was home, I wanted to kick myself for not asking her if I could interview her for my blog. Next time hopefully I’ll think of things like that in the moment.

With Carla Hall, of The Chew — With Carla Hall, co-host of ABC’s The Chew

After lunch, the bloggers had time to visit the sponsor booths of companies such as Eddie Bauer, Balance Bar and Dermalogica. The event ended with an optional 3-mile run. On our way out, we were handed an amazing gift bag, stuffed with a huge array of products to try! Just like last year, the Blogger Meet & Tweet was a wonderful experience.

Road tripping it

This year, my husband and son were able to join me and we made it a family road trip from North Carolina to NYC. On the way up, we stayed overnight near Washington, D.C. and visited the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. Like all of the Smithsonian museums, it’s well worth the visit. This one features the Discovery Space Shuttle, the Enola Gay, an IMAX theatre, and hundreds of other space and flight exhibits.

While I was at the Meet & Tweet, my husband and son went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of our favorite places to visit. After the event, I met them there. Then we went to Chinatown for a delicious dinner, and afterwards enjoyed browsing shops, picking up some yummy bakery items to take with us.

We only had one day in the city, far too short of a stay, but we made the most of every minute and had a blast.

The next day, we headed to our hometown in southern Delaware to visit family for the weekend. We were there for my Dad’s birthday and threw him a dinner party, which made the trip all the more special.

It was a week I’ll always treasure!

Click on the gallery images to enlarge:

Arriving at the Mercedes Club for the Blogger Meet & Tweet, in the rain

So excited to be here!

With fellow blogger Patty Aizaga

Betty Wong, Fitness Editor-in-Chief, welcomes everyone.

Bloggers on their phones is a good thing. They’re live-tweeting, Instagramming, and taking notes.

Carla Hall gave tips on cooking and eating healthier while staying true to your cultural roots and enjoying food. Moderating was Pam O’Brien, Fitness Executive Editor.