Sigh… where to start? It’s the end of another great weekend of new media exploration, sharing, and networking. It’s always a huge reminder of how media is changing. WE are the media. YOU are the media. Your LISTENERS are the media. I am so proud to be a part of this incredible community. It’s filled with the most cutting-edge, driven, and intelligent people I have ever known. MANY MANY Photo Credit - CC Chapmanthanks to Jeff Pulver for flying Neil Gorman and I out for the weekend. I couldn’t have made it out there without you.

There were some good sessions, including Mitch Joel’s personal branding session (one I was anxious to hear). The podcaster Q&A session I helped Adam Weiss out was wonderful, and was an awesome way to intentionally sit down individually with people trying to figure it all out. I met people from PR agencies, musicians, bloggers, and company marketing specialists. I can not tell you how excited I was to meet with so many of you, to share, and to see how eager you are to learn. While no where near the 1400 people that were signed up actually came, there was still a manageable large group of people there.

Far and away, I’m most grateful for the opportunity to meet the people that fill my life in new media with their friendships. If you read this blog or follow me on Twitter, you know how passionate I am in stressing the link between new media and relationships, in all their forms. Excuse me while I swoon over a few important people to me this weekend:

  • Karen, your friendship has helped me through so many chaotic times over the last year and a half.Karen and I pose for a picture between sessions To be able to offer a hug and spend time with you was one of the biggest highlights of the weekend.
  • Chel, you continue to inspire me in watching your reawakening as a person. Thank you for sharing a part of your life with me and for helping to bring me to Boston.
  • Chris Penn, the one thing I regret about my trip out was that I didn’t have the opportunity to sit down and chat with you for more than a few minutes. I have the utmost respect for you. Not simply because of your role with Podcamp, but with your action mindset and your willingness to DO and not just THINK.
  • Clarence. I have been a silent listener of your’s for a while. You make us all truly think about the world around us, and I’m grateful to have gotten a chance to spend some time getting to know you better.
  • CC Chapman. It’s ALWAYS great to see you. Even though we only chatted in passing this weekend, your pioneering spirit and passion to drive the new media train to the masses points me toward the direction I need to go. Thank you for your friendship and for reminding us that we are all learning in this new media playground. BEST of luck with The Advance Guard.
  • Grace. It was great to see you face to face for the first time. You have an electric smile, and it was a true honor to watch you perform live.
  • Natalie, Jeremy, Laura, Clinton, John, and the multitudes of you I had the chance to talk to, meet for the first time, and simply share. Thank you.

Do YOU know Clarence? (photo Credit - CC Chapman)While I have different relationships with all of you, you are all extremely valuable to me. It doesn’t matter if we have spent hours in Skype chat working through projects, talked about life, about new media, music, or the weather. It does not matter if I met you for the first time this weekend, or if I’ve known you from the start of this whole crazy thing. It does not mater if you are simply a spectator in this whole crazy new media world. This is about YOU, doing your thing, with YOUR passions, and sharing a part of you with myself and others. Your constant willingness to learn, explore, and innovate are what keep me going. YOU are the media. YOU are the conversation. YOU are the engagement. YOU are what makes ME better.

My Flickr set from Podcamp Boston