Since I have been given the amazing opportunity to be a VIP blogger for the Mega Conference in Long Beach California March 3-4, I figured it would be a good idea to do a pre-post and let everyone in on the weekend’s amazing speakers and why I get a buzz just thinking about it.  I seriously haven’t been this excited since I went on a cruise with New Kids On The Block. (Yes, that really happened.)

What’s crazy is that it's only been a little over a year since I began my education at The Institute For Integrative Nutrition. I started at IIN in hopes of finding ways to help other women with eating disorders. What I found was my authentic self. I was a junk food vegetarian who was still a slave to the scale. I was struggling off-and-on with depression and PMDD. I was addicted to coffee, and on medication for my ADD.  Although I wasn’t actively practicing my eating disorder, the thoughts and behaviors were very much there; I just didn’t want to admit it. It’s surreal to me that a year later, my life has completely transformed. In fact, I just finished a 90-minute yoga class and I’m sipping on a homemade green juice. Thank you IIN! I freaking love my life now!!

My excitement is building so fast because I have already attended two conferences and I know how awesome they are. I won the Costa Rica Challenge last April, and also attended the NYC conference last September. Each time, I leave feeling inspired, grateful and ready to make the world a better place. These conferences are no doubt changing the consciousness of our society.

The conference will be headed by Joshua Rosenthal. He has such a commanding presence. He’s also the founder and visionary behind IIN. His mission to improve health and happiness throughout the world humbles me.  If I had a penny for every life (mine included) that has been transformed by his vision, I’d be a millionaire.

I have to give a huge thank you to Joshua right now for doing a west coast conference. The location makes my happy light glow. I'm beyond thrilled that it's taking place in sunny California!! Did I mention our hotel is right on the beach? I cannot wait to bust out my shorts and coconut oil!  Being a Montana native, and living in Idaho now, you have no idea how much I adore and cherish my time in the sun!

And of course, I cannot forget the speakers!! Although I’m always super excited for ALL of them, I have to admit that two in particular will have me on the edge of my seat.

David Wolfe

David is the reason my green smoothies get doused with raw cacoa, maca and chia seeds each morning. He is my raw food guru. His knowledge and passion for super foods and the raw food movement are invigorating and inspiring. I’m not gonna lie; I’m a little afraid I might be his own personal paparazzi since I get VIP seating. I seriously love the guy. His energy and love for life is contagious. I’ve read all his books and I still remember the first time I listened to one of his lectures. It was like I had just poured a whole bottle of Denorex on myself. My whole body felt tingly and my heart jumped for joy with recognition at every word he spoke.  He knows his stuff.

Geneen Roth

Oh my goodness!! Geneen Roth. I have goosebumps just writing her name. Her brilliant work is something I hope to emulate in my own business. She, like myself, struggled with and eating disorder for a good portion of her life. She has turned those years of pain into a priceless gift for the world. She challenges women to make the connection between the food they eat and their beliefs about life. Her book, Women Food And God was perhaps the most influential piece in my own recovery. Bursting with insight, honesty, and courage, she inspires me daily. Literally. I have a Geneen Roth daily quote calendar. She truly is one of my greatest role models and I hope one day we will collaborate. (Hey, it’s on my vision board and we all need dreams.) It’s seriously impossible to leave one of her lectures without a deeper insight and greater awareness into yourself and your relationship with food.

With all the amazing speakers, the gorgeous beach, and the yummy food, I really couldn’t ask for more. However, my favorite thing about the conferences is always the relationships I form. It’s inspiring to meet so many like-minded people. Of course I am most excited to see my destination BFF, IIN grad and fellow VIP Blogger Jenny Sansouci!  We met in Costa Rica and had an instant connection.  It’s rare that someone is as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside, but this is Jenny. She is truly my soul sister.  I don’t know if you know this, but we also have a lovechild. His name is Kale. I can’t wait to hug her and get nerdy about all things holistic.

So, there you have it! My excitement in black and white.  To be honest, putting my passion and love for IIN conferences into words was much harder than I anticipated. It’s like to trying to explain your wedding day, or the birth of your child and hoping everyone can feel exactly what you’re feeling. There really are no words; nothing tangible to explain the energy. It’s a feeling that you can only know once you’ve experienced the sheer awesomeness of a conference. The best part is that I know the posts I will be writing at the conference will cover so much more. The bottom-line is that you cannot top the collective feeling at a mega conference. There is a coming together and mutual understanding that people are capable of healing themselves, and in turn, healing the world we live in. What could be more inspiring than that?