FitBloggin’ 13 Day 1

Hi strangers!

Sorry I haven’t been able to do my normal updates. This Skinny Minnie has been insanely busy having a blast in Portland. If you have been following my Instagram you will have seen some of the highlights of the trip. Since SO much went on, I’ve decided to post each day separately, rather than talk abut my boring work days, and how much I wish I was back on vacation 🙂

Warning: this post is SUPER picture heavy!

Thursday morning (my birthday) I was up at 4am to grab some last minute things to throw in my suitcases, pack the food I froze in a separate suitcase, and catch a cab to the airport for my 6:44am flight. First of all, I had no idea it would be that hard to get a cab in the morning. I guess I should’ve called the night before. After calling 3 companies someone finally came and I was at the airport in plenty of time (I live about 5 minutes from it).

And during my flight this happened:

Flight went smooth until I arrived in Portland to NO BAGS. My layover was about 35 minutes, so when I arrived in Minneappolis the flight was already boarding. Of course the airport there is HUGE and my gate was all the way on the opposite side. I bet I sprinted 2 miles in that airport to make it. Thank goodness I am in great shape! I dont know how other people did it. Well I guess other people didn’t, because I made it, but my bags didn’t. After freaking out about no bags, the gnetleman said there might be a chance they put in on another flight that would arrive soon. 45 minutes later my bags arrived and I was relieved, until I picked them up. That new beautiful suitcase I talked about? Well it looked like someone ran over it with a Mac truck. Don’t get me started… But flying with Delta again? Not happening folks.

Needless to say, I was worried this trip wouldn’t go smoothly. But I hopped in a cab and hoped for the best.

When I arrived at the hotel I felt like Kim Kardashian. A doorman opened the cab door and said “Welcome Miss Skinny Minnie (okay really he said my last name), how was your flight in?” He grabbed my bags and said “we would be happy to take these up to your room for you, please check in and I am sure a room will be ready for you”. I was stunned. I figured I’d have time to kill because I arrived a little after 11. Most check in times are after 3.

Here is what my hotel and room looked like:

After settling in, I grabbed my camera and decided to go on the hunt for some coffee and the Whole Foods (I needed to find unsweetened almond milk PRONTO for my protein shakes!).

Here are some of the things I ran into while on my little journey

On my way I found this ADORABLE boutique. I couldn’t help myself! I went in and made two purchases. A dress (you will see later this week) and some sunglasses.

After wandering around for what seemed like FOREVER I finally found the Whole Foods! This one was actually very different than the ones I am used to, but I love seeing different stores 🙂

And yes I scored all different kinds of unsweetened almond milk AND the Justin’s vanilla almond butter that is always sold out. I had to buy individual packets because the huge jars were all gone.

When I made it back to the hotel I decided to workout. It was about 4 in the afternoon in Portland and I had a beautiful huge gym to myself. I couldn’t believe no one was working out! I mean it was a fitness conference after all… but I liked being alone 🙂 I did 35 minutes of cardio and then a little bit of back and biceps.

After showering I got pretty for our first FitBloggin’ gathering! It was an “icebreaker” event. Get to know your fellow bloggers, dance, relax, and have fun. I was a nervous wreck since I didn’t know anyone.

The first thing we had to do was make our badges for the conference. It was all about flair. Here was mine!

As I was standing at the table decorating mine I heard a voice say “Do you guys like Quest bars?”. You can imagine how fast my head popped up. Standing next to me was the Quest guy. I pretty much grabbed him and told him all about my obsession. He immediately handed me a cookie dough Quest bar and told me he’d give me the new flavor that isn’t even out yet the following day. It was decided that this guy didn’t have a chance of hiding from me for the rest of the weekend 😉

After some snacks

I mingled a bit and we had some ice breaker activities which were pretty fun and lightened the mood. I was relieved that EVERYONE felt the same way I did. Nervous as heck, socially awkward, but looking forward to the conference. I was ecstatic to be in a room full of people just like me. We are bloggers! We are uncomfortable in social situations and we are okay with it! 🙂

I was already off to a great start meeting so many wonderful people. I even started talking to a fellow terp! What a small world. And we graduated the same year. This woman is amazing. Her blog is called T-Rex Runner and it’s about her goal of running a marathon in every state in the US and DC before turning 30. How cool is that? She’s already around 32 races I believe and just got back from one in Alaska. Definitely an inspiring woman. Check out her blog 🙂

As the night ended I came out with a HUGE bag of endless amounts of SWAG (stuff we all get). I cannot believe how kind all of the sponsors were. People just threw stuff at you to take and try.

I especially loved the shoes. Thanks REEBOK!

For dinner I didn’t have any utensils, so I had to be creative with my meals.

And then I snacked on this great new protein pudding for dessert. Delicious!

So that wraps up Day 1! Mostly settling in and traveling. Day 2 will bring more fun and MORE pictures! Make sure to come back tomorrow 🙂

XOXO With a Cherry On Top,

-Minnie