DESIGNER VACA 2014

I spent most of last week in the desert with about 100 creative women at Designer Vaca, a mix of conference / vacation / networking event / sleep-away camp.

After reading a few different blogger’s recaps about the last 2 events, I had signed up for the newsletter to be the first to know when tickets went on sale. I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to attend, being in the minority of attendees who don’t work freelance or own their own companies. I wasn’t sure I was the key audience for this ‘conference’ and traveling, food and accommodations were an extra cost to consider. When tickets came on sale a few months ago, I snagged one – worried I might miss out. I found out later that the 100 tickets sold out in 3 hours!

It was a really interesting few days, and not at all in the way I had expected. With all the downtime at the hotel, you were basically forced to make friends – but luckily, most girls also arrived alone and were more than willing to befriend each other. It’s great how quick you can connect with people when you all have something so important in common. The group was filled with illustrators, designers and programmers but we all shared horror stories and challenges and victories from our own adventures. We abused the photobooth, drank lots of coffee, soaked up (too much) sun by the pool and had late night talks about ridiculous television shows. We talked about our struggles and our hopes for the future and we exchanged instagram handles – who needs business cards? And at the end, we hugged and promised to keep in touch.

I felt satisfied at the end of the trip – and it wasn’t so much the organized talks and sessions that made this trip memorable – but the amazing women I met and plan on keeping in my life, despite the long distances. Looking down at a strip of black and white photos drying in my hands, somewhere in the middle 0f the desert, I realized I had found my kin. A clan of inspiring and genuine women that I felt sad to say goodbye to.

Now, without further ado – I present you with the photographic bragging segment of this post:

That view never got old.