So the 2013 UtopYA writer/reader conference was held recently in Nashville, TN and I went down as one of the exhibitors.
Swag was passed, books were sold, Swedish Fish were consumed, workshops were attended, and then, in the blink of an eye, it was over. Where did the time go?
Of course, being brilliant, I didn’t think to take my camera out until the awards show. Here are some of the few shots I managed to capture. 
Me and Amy front and center!
Then, I packed up and prepared to head back to Maine. My flight was going to be getting in at midnight, and I had a graduate class the next morning at 8 am. Being smart, I booked a hotel next to the airport so I could just crash and go to class. It was a good plan. Except, when it decided to rain in NY, where my connecting flight was. My flight into NY was delayed, which meant my connecting flight into Maine was not gonna get me home. I had to stay another night (using the money I had made at UtopYa—oh irony) only to go back to the airport at 5:00 am to find out that those flights were delayed as well. Long story short, too late, I didn’t get home until 9:00pm the following night. Oh, and I threw my back out in the process. Walking through an airport with a bad back…not a great plan.
So today, I write this, broke, broken, and exhausted. But you can bet your bottom dollar I’ll be going again next year. (I’ve already got my ticket!)
Danielle Bannister
Author and insane woman
Danielle Bannister, Author 
Lol, I totally didn’t know you were taking that picture! It was great to meet you. 🙂
haha. sneak attack. 🙂
UtopYa was such a fun time! But I feel your pain. I was actually 9 hours late in arriving the previous Thurs due to cancelled connecting flight and then re-booked flight hitting a lightning storm. Geesh! Didn’t get in until 2am and the event started at 8am. BUT the rest of the weekend was awesome 🙂 Hope you and your back are getting some much needed rest now.
Rest is all I can do! hahaha!