<a href="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/5806644647_f879f0caac_b.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-5881" title="5806644647_f879f0caac_b" src="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/5806644647_f879f0caac_b-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" /></a>One day last fall, Chris Guillebeau, author of the <a href="http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/" target="_blank"><strong>blog</strong></a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Art-Non-Conformity-Rules-Change-World/dp/0399536108/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1276834363&amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank"><strong>book</strong> </a><em>The Art of Nonconformity, </em>announced that he would host the first ever <a href="http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/wds-2011-the-heart-attack-of-awesome/" target="_blank"><strong>World Domination Summit</strong> </a>at his home base of Portland, Oregon.

&nbsp;

Uncharacteristically, I acted fast and enrolled.  Usually, I would ponder for days, weeks, months, and then sign up when it's too late.  (Lucky for me, I seem to have recently evolved into <a href="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/2011/06/08/day-249-packing-personal-best/" target="_blank"><strong>The Peppy Little Puppy<span style="font-weight: normal;">. </span></strong></a>WDS sold out 6 months in advance.)

&nbsp;

I enlisted to join this crusade without knowing a living, breathing soul attending the conference.  Even though the world sees me as Ms. Extrovert (friendly, former Theatre Diva, teacher of the masses), I and the <a href="http://www.keirsey.com/4temps/counselor.asp" target="_blank"><strong>Myers-Briggs Personality Peeps</strong></a> consider me Ms. Introvert (painfully shy as a child, loner tendencies, writer).

&nbsp;

So I would be lying to you if I didn't confess that butterflies fluttered by in my stomach as The World Domination Summit approached.  With my more-than-slightly overpacked schedule of Work, Life, Blog and<a href="http://www.facebook.com/worlds.most.precious.pooch" target="_blank"> <strong>Puppy</strong></a>, I didn't have much time to chase after the butterflies.  Instead, I harnessed their energy and pushed myself out of The Zone of Comfort.

&nbsp;

<span style="color: #800080; font-size: medium;"><strong>The night before the conference, I knew that there was no way in hell that I would be able to lug my overstuffed suitcase and computer bag from the airport via train/bus/light rail or whatever it was that Chris G. thoughtfully suggested in his welcome email.</strong></span>

&nbsp;

Chris and I don't see eye-to-eye on airport transit because:  A)  He's a guy.  B)  He's a guy that has traveled to almost every country and all 50 states which makes him a Packing Expert.  C)  He is able to pack minimally because he isn't attached to make-up, hair products, or clunky summer wedges because...please refer back to "A".

&nbsp;

THANKFULLY, a woman who is at my eye level (figuratively and literally) tweeted about sharing a cab from the airport and SERENDIPITOUSLY, she just so happened to fly in from San Francisco at the same time as me.

&nbsp;

On that cab ride to my hotel, I made a new friend.  (Who, as it turned out over the course of the weekend, is now my lifelong friend.  Check out her brilliant photo blog at <strong><a href="http://samfrancisco.me/category/365/" target="_blank">samfrancisco.com</a></strong>.)

&nbsp;

In a second fateful-in-a-great way moment, I miraculously arrived to my hotel in time to make it to a panel of authors and coaches sharing their experience with their Mastermind Group.

&nbsp;

<span style="font-size: medium; color: #800080;"><strong>You know how you hear about something somewhere and it piques your interest?  And then you hear about it again a few weeks later, and you're a bit unnerved and take note?  A couple weeks pass and you hear about it <em>yet again</em>, and it gives you goosebumps and you know that <em>you must act now?</em></strong></span>

&nbsp;

That happened to me regarding  Mastermind Groups as of late.  But I wasn't quite sure <em>how</em> to act now.

&nbsp;

When I saw a tweet about this opportunity, I knew that I had to be there.  Although the odds didn't look good considering that my flight arrived only an hour prior to the meeting.

&nbsp;

But when the universe insists that <em>you must act now</em>, then Southwest Airlines get you to the airport 10 minutes early, a crazy cab driver zips you and your newfound friend to your hotels, and an equally speedy cab driver high tails you on over to the Mastermind Meetup.

&nbsp;

You then listen, absorb, goosebump some more, and meet authors that you've been reading for years (<strong><a href="http://www.BoxOfCrayons.biz/" target="_blank">Michael Bungay Stanier</a></strong> and <strong><a href="http://jenniferlouden.com/about-2/" target="_blank">Jen Louden</a></strong>) as well as brilliant minds new to you (<strong><a href="http://www.shaboominc.com/blog/" target="_blank">Molly Gordon</a></strong> and <strong><a href="http://www.heartofbusiness.com/" target="_blank">Mark Silver</a></strong>).

&nbsp;

If that isn't cool enough, you are next thrust amidst droves of other interesting, like-minded peeps at the WDS Opening Party at the Portland Art Museum . . .

&nbsp;

[caption id="attachment_5882" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="See the girl in the pink shirt front and center?  That&#39;s another new friend, Melissa.  I am to the right of her in this photo and...blocked.  :-( "]<a href="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/5796655275_83ca14c6db.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-5882" title="5796655275_83ca14c6db" src="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/5796655275_83ca14c6db-300x199.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="199" /></a>[/caption]

&nbsp;

while the ever-humble and gracious Chris Guillebeau thanks everyone for coming and lights The Torch of Inspiration.

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/5816828066_706110ea7f.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5883" title="5816828066_706110ea7f" src="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/5816828066_706110ea7f-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" /></a>

&nbsp;

Oh, what a night!

&nbsp;

To be continued . . .

&nbsp;

***

&nbsp;

Photos courtesy of <strong><a href="http://armosastudios.com/" target="_blank">Armosa Studios</a></strong>

&nbsp;

Groovy Torch created by <strong><a href="http://www.johntunger.com/" target="_blank">John T. Unger </a></strong>