I just returned from a 48 hour trip to Atlanta. While I was there I had the opportunity to meet up with some amazing people that stretched, challenged and encouraged me. I’m not normally a name-dropper but I’m going to make an exception in this post. Indulge me.

I met Carlos for lunch in Buckhead on Wednesday. What was totally weird was that we didn’t talk about blogging once the whole time. Ok, totally not true. It was a real treat to finally meet Carlos face-to-face because his blog was what inspired me to take the whole blogging thing seriously. I still remember spending about 2 hours one night back in January with Lisa going through past posts he’d written and appreciating his raw, honest style. After lunch I got a tour of Buckhead Church where I was able to see all the fun techy stuff that a geek like me likes to look at.

That evening I was able to hook up with Jon Acuff (the writer behind Stuff Christians Like) and his wife. This guy is about as real and down-to-earth as they come. For such a great writer with such a popular blog he is amazingly humble. If he wasn’t such a great guy I’d probably be insanely jealous of his talent and seemingly effortless ability to write such funny posts that thousands enjoy. I had to kick myself out because I could have stayed and talked all night.

My buddy Jesse Philips who works for Catalyst hooked me up with a place to crash and some great late-night conversation.

The next day I had the opportunity to meet Ben Arment for coffee. I knew of Ben through his blog and involvement with Catalyst but had never really had a chance to interact with him. I wasn’t expecting someone as young as him to be so wise and insightful. It was like talking to a younger, less-green version of Yoda. He asked me some challenging questions that I’m still thinking through.

That afternoon I stopped by the Catalyst offices to see where all the Catalyst magic happens. I had a fun time chatting with Brad, Chad, Ben, Dwayne, Dustin, Jesse and the rest of the team. Three observations about the Catalyst offices: 1) with as much junk food as they have it’s a wonder that they’re all not 150 pounds overweight, 2) Someone over there has an obsession with bookshelves…lots and lots of bookshelves, 3) It seems like a genuinely fun work environmental where everyone has fun and enjoys each other other. They have an awesome team and are doing a great job inspiring and equipping next generation leaders.

Before I left I was able to hook up with Lanny Donoho over at the Big Stuf offices. It was a real treat getting to meet the man that has livened up the Catalyst stage year after year. We had a great conversation about blogging, social media and some of the amazing things he’s involved in with 410 Bridge.

All in all it was an amazing, whirlwind of a trip. I’m constantly amazed at the power of social networking and the connections you can make through simple tools like blogs and Twitter.

Thanks for a great trip Atlanta. Seeya again soon.