This was my third time attending Realm Makers and the ninth conference I’ve ever attended! This year I went to a part of the United States I’ve never been to and had so many other unique experiences. This trip will definitely be a great memory for years to come.
The conference this year was in Reno, Nevada, so of course I had to take a plane. Therefore I got up before dawn (3:30 am) to head down to the airport with Cassia. She was staying with me for a week and had a separate flight to Reno. More on that in tomorrow’s Monthly Summary.
Anyway … another friend of mine, the darling Olivia Hofer, and I had the same flight so we went on this westerly adventure together!
So we boarded our plane and flew to San Francisco for our connecting flight thus checking California off of the States I’ve visited.
Next we arrived in Reno with no trouble. Cassia arrived soon then we took the complimentary shuttle to our hotel. A couple notes about Nevada as a Georgian: it’s hot, it’s dry, it’s brown, and there are casino’s everywhere. Also smoking is way more accepted than it is in the east.
After a minor hiccup, we got our room, which is pretty darn nice if I do say so myself and we hit the pool to relax after our long flights with another friend Charissa.
That evening we had supper at a Russian deli that was a short walk from our hotel and well-priced. I had a Pelmeni. Yummy!
Today I took David Farland’s early bird class. So informative!
And I got to meet Tracey Dyck! Squee! So awesome to meet her in person!
Later on Ian, Christian, and I played hangman while waiting for the Ted Dekker!
Then he finally came on! He’s a bit of an eccentric guy, but he’s got a heart for Jesus and that’s what matters.
Then that evening I got to meet Anna Tan who flew all the way from Malaysia to attend this conference! I’m hoping to feature her on the blog for an interview. She brought Malaysian snacks!
The next day continuing classes started and I took Robert Liparulo’s. He’s a really kind guy and had a lot of good advice.
During lunch I got to meet up with Jill and Brad Williamson and Kara Swanson!
Side Note: The food was really fancy there.
Then I had appointments with two agents. They went well. One of my books is getting past the slush pile and directly to the assistant’s inbox, so that’s exciting. *crosses fingers*
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| One of the agents complimented me on my ring. 🙂 |
That night was the costume dinner and I brought Cedric all the way from Georgia to be with Graham cosplay. As per usual I took tons of pics. ^ ^
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| This young woman recognized my cosplay immediately. It made my night! |
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| With author John W. Otte! |
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| With Mary Horton! So awesome to meet you! |
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| Selfie with friends! |
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| With author Just B. Jordan! |
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| With Tracey as Emma Swan! |
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| With author Jill Williamson and her husband Brad Williamson! |
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| With the conference directors Scott and Becky Minor! |
That night we played cards. I mean we’re at a casino right? I’m kidding. We didn’t gamble. XD
This was the last day of the conference. Sad face, but that doesn’t mean memories weren’t made! I went to some awesome classes taught by Robert Liparulo, Mary Weber, and David Farland and even won a book by Robert Liparulo!
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| Author Mary Weber |
We then ate dinner at the Russian Bazaar. I know again, but it’s super good!
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| Borsch! Yummy! |
That night we had chocolate fondue while getting our books signed! I got books signed by Ted Dekker, Robert Liparulo, Kara Swanson, Jill Williamson, Kara Swanson, and Just B. Jordan! I’ve got a lot of books stocked up for reading now. XD
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| with Ted Dekker! |
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| With Robert Liparulo! |
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| With Kara Swanson! |
And I got this crazy selfie with SuzyQ and Cassia.
The next day, my flight didn’t leave until 11pm that night, so I slept in then played games all day with my friends till they left for their flights. Near evening we went swimming …
… and to the Russian bistro for the last time and saw the hotel’s lit torches.
We also went up the crazy clear elevator to the top floor of the hotel. We all got vertigo. XD
Then I headed to the airport for my red eye flight home.
After a really long and exhausting flight which I did my best to sleep in I made it home safely, slept in my own bed, and relaxed with my kitty.
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| She missed her mom. |
Conclusion – There are so many extra stories I could tell. I made so many memories I won’t forget. All of the hours of work I took this year no matter how tiresome or physically painful to save up to go were totally worth. I’m still a little sad it’s all over, but I’m so glad it happened and I look forward to Realm Makers next year!
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