So much has been going on. I've been very busy trying to prepare for the NASA Tweetup. And there is still so much I need to do. It seems I don't go to bed before midnight anymore because I've got so much going on. I've been running on adrenaline since the announcement that I was selected, and I'm sure that will continue through the event in July.
I've never really been one to self-promote myself, but now I find myself telling people to follow me on Twitter (I'm @julieanntuttle) so they can be a part of this amazing experience too, albeit vicariously. I have a meeting on Wednesday (gosh, it's past midnight again, so later today) with a local reporter who wants to do two stories on my adventure, one before and one after the event. I'll make sure to provide a link to those stories once they are available.
I'm so excited to share this experience with people who will not be there with me which is one of the reasons I am keeping this blog. Additionally, there are so many amazing tweeps that have also been selected to attend this event, and I am eager to meet them all in person. One person is putting together a documentary (www.spacecrowd.com), and I still have an "assignment" to make a video introduction that I hope to do today sometime. This is becoming like a second job : -)
All us NASA Tweetup peeps have already been talking through Twitter and a Facebook group so it may be surreal when we all finally meet in person. All 150 participants selected for the STS-135 NASA Tweetup have very interesting backgrounds and a wide range of experiences. Getting to share this awesome event with such an amazing group of people adds a whole other layer to the experience.
On Friday, I'd done a shout out on Twitter to all of the STS-135 astronauts you can follow on Twitter. I mentioned I'd be there to see the launch in July. One of the Atlantis astronauts, Rex Walheim, (find him on Twitter @Astro_Rex) sent me a tweet back that said, "Enjoy the launch. We'll try our best to go on time!" Of course, now I have to tell people that astronaut Rex tweeted to me. If you're a space tweep, you'll understand my nerdy excitement about such a cool moment. And if you're not I hope you'll follow me on my adventure, and you'll get you excited about space too!
Congratulations, Julie. I was at STS-134 Tweetup. My best advice: The launch is the icing on an amazing two days (or more). Make sure you meet as many of your Tweetup peers as a you can, especially during the evening events. Don't watch the launch through a camera lens. Don't try to leave KSC right after the launch.
ReplyDeleteNASA Tweetup was an amazing time for me. The relationships I established are still wonderful.
I'm even going back for your launch, but will be watching from the KSC Visitor Center. Not the same, but still surrounded buy other space tweeps. Hope to meet you at one of the Tweetup social events.
Karen (@datachick)