I’ve got the medium, here’s what I’m gonna do…
March 9th, 2010I just wanted to write a little farewell post before I go to bed/leave for Vegas in the morning…
It’s hard to believe it’s been 2 years since the last 311 Day! What’s even harder to believe is that after all the planning, waiting, preparing, and dreaming about 311 Day and everything associated with it, I am finally LEAVING IN LESS THAN 8 HOURS TO EXPERIENCE 311 DAY 2010!!
Can this all be real??…
This 311 Day is already a lot different than the past few…I think Vegas will be a great spot for 311 Day, the beach party is a nice new addition to the festivites, and most of all, I feel even more involved with 311 and the community than ever. I have been VERY involved the past few years, mostly through the bulletin board and working on this site, but these past 2 years or so have brought many new people and experiences into my life. Shortly after 311 Day 2008, management caught wind of this site and ever since, I have grown close with them and have had the privilege of helping them out with various 311 Web projects including the new 311.com and other popular social networking/music sites. It feels good to “donate” some of my personal time to the band, since I feel eternally indebted to them for all the happiness their music has brought me throughout the years.
Also, I have seen 311 a total of 31 times since 311 Day 2008, and all the shows and tours have been absolutely amazing. It was awesome following the release of Uplifter this past spring/summer, and I will never forget talking to Chad at Drum City in LA the day it came out! Or, seeing 311 perform on the Jimmy Kimmel show, and getting on national TV…and watching it at the Frolic Room later that night! This fall, I was interviewed/quoted in a 311 article in the Omaha newspaper, and I got to interview Nick this past November for an article/review I wrote. NOW, becoming a finalist in this MTV correspondent contest is like a bonus I never imagined!! Honestly, even if I don’t win at this point, I am so happy to have shared my love for the band in yet another way, and to be recognized as a finalist is more than enough. I feel incredibly lucky and fortunate to have experienced all of the above, and I still can’t really believe any of these things actually happened! =D
Additionally, it’s hard to even estimate or put in to words how many exceptional people I have met throughout the past few years through 311. I feel like I just keep meeting more and more great people all the time, and feel so blessed for all of the amazing friends I now have in my life because of this band. I never imagined having such a huge circle of the kindest, most generous, fun and adventurous people you will ever meet, who all just happen to love and understand this band that I also identify with on such a deep level. I went from having pretty much NO ONE talk to about 311 just a few years ago, to having this huge community of friends who “get it” and who I can talk to for hours about any and everything 311 (and so much more!). I value these relationships so much and am forever thankful for each and every one!
I also need to talk about this site and how much it has grown throughout the years. I used to visit 311heaven.com back when it was still around and remember thinking, “wow, who is this girl, she is soo cool!” I wanted to meet her so bad, and thought her site was so awesome and wondered where she got all this “insider info” from. I also knew that one day, if her site ever shut down, that I wanted to have my own site that fans would rely on for everything that can’t be found on 311.com. I told myself that I was going to start a fan site some day, and that it would be just as great, if not greater, than 311heaven.com. It was a HUGE dream of mine, and then one day, 311heaven.com ceased to exist. I thought, “this is my chance!” So I thought of the name 311tribute.com, because I wanted the theme of the site to be “dedicated to the excitable ones.” I wanted this site to have everything a hardcore fan could want, and have enough stuff on here to occupy hours and hours of someone’s time.
I got off to a little bit of a slow start back in 2005/2006, but added a lot of content in 2007. By the end of 2007/early 2008, I was updating the blog very regularly and kept updating more and more. By 2009, the site was averaging around 1,000 views per day! Despite some major technical difficulties this past summer, people continued to come around, and by the time I got it fixed this fall, the viewership/participation is stronger than ever. I can’t tell you how much it means to be able to call this website a “success,” which I feel confident in saying at this point. (I mean, come on, it was mentioned in the Omaha paper, and on MTVNews.com! haha) Even though it’s still a work in progress, and even though most people still show up as ‘Anonymous,’ (grr!) I think I have accomplished what I set out to do all along: to deliver the most up-to-the-minute 311 news, and bring people together to discuss 311 and all the goings-on on a daily basis. I love reading all the comments every day, and I am SO excited to get together with and meet you all on Wednesday. It really kind of is a dream come true, to contribute something this meaningful to 311 and the fans. Thank you all for your support and kind words over the years, it really keeps me going, and it is a pleasure to host this site for you!
Well, I should really get to bed, and I’d be surprised if anyone is still even reading this whole thing…but anyway, 311 Day 2010 is upon us, and we are about to experience one of the most epic live shows of our lifetimes. I cannot wait to be surrounded by thousands of 311 fans and feel all the love and positivity we all will bring!! I hope to meet as many of you as possible, and CHEERS! to 311, the best band in the world! 
