Just Open Your Mouth

I'll probably write about this a bit in a different blog post but recently I went to Las Vegas for CES (Consumer Electronics Show) and while standing in line to get some swag, I noticed the bag of the lady in front of me. It was really cute and I complimented her on it. We got to talking, she was there with her husband and they were just so nice and down to earth, easy and fun to talk to. We got our swag and continued talking and exchanged information so we could keep in touch. I don't remember it all now, it is such a blur! She told me she was going to Anaheim next for CHA,  a show I've heard about in the last few years, thought it sounded awesome but it has never worked out to go. However, she told me she could add me to her 'list' and I could come if I wanted to! I was in so much shock, thinking about how I could possibly make it work. I had a couple commitments in Utah , I had 1 person who wanted a ride back to Salt Lake on Friday night and then there was the weather to worry about.  I told her I would think it over and see what I could work out.

I finished my Thursday at CES and headed to see a friend and have dinner before going back to a different friend's house where I was staying. I looked at weather, it was great. I talked to Tony, he was fine with me not coming home for a few more days. I messaged a few friends in L.A to see if I could stay with them and got that worked out. I heard back from the guy who had wanted a ride back to Utah and he said he had decided to stay a few extra days in St. George. The weather looked clear and suddenly nothing was standing in my way. I was really nervous but I made up my mind that I was going to go to CHA and messaged my friend to let her know.

Friday at CES was a bit intense as I had lost my badge on Thursday late afternoon and was told it would be $300 to replace! This was devastating to hear because I did not have that kind of money to replace my badge for 1 more day at CES. It was stressful to think about but underneath all my emotions I knew it was going to be okay. I felt calm and like things would work out. So crazy, right? I hung out at security for awhile to see if anyone would turn in my badge, I talked to people and then 6pm rolled around and everything shut down at the convention center until Friday.  You'll have to read my blog post to see what happened next, and I won't be writing about it yet. I forgot that CES ended on Saturday, not Friday, so I could have stayed at CES a bit longer if I had wanted to possibly. 

Back to my friend and CHA, it was one of the most fun times to hang out with her and her friend in Anaheim. They knew lots of tips and tricks for navigating the hundreds of booths. 

I'm so so glad that instead of staring down at my phone as I waited in line for swag at CES, that I decided to take notice of what was happening around me and be present because doing that led to so many good things!