Meeting Your Idols: Expectation vs Reality

As a lot of you know, I was so looking forward to meeting the Saccone Jolys since discovering they would be speaking at BlogFest (Mumsnet’s Blogging Conference) in London last weekend. I had also been shortlisted in their Best Vlogger Category for the awards which would be taking place the same day. This made me incredibly proud and happy about our little blog and YouTube channel. Of course, the excitement of this was curbed when we found out that we didn’t make it to the Finals, LOL! The reality is that having come close at the BIBS (Brilliance in Blogging organised by Britmums) back in May, this time I was fine about it and it didn’t affect me. I think this was because I was really looking forward to saying hi to my vlogging IDOLS Jonathan & Anna in person.

I guess you may be expecting this post to be about my day at BlogFest and the highlight of meeting Anna & Jonathan. Well no, this post won’t be about my day at BlogFest and how good or bad the sessions were or how amazing it was to meet again with some amazing bloggers or meeting other bloggers that you have been chatting with for a lot for months for the first time! I obviously loved all of that but this post won’t be about that.

This post will be about my expectations of meeting Anna & Jonathan and what the reality actually was. I had been looking forward to this day for months and the main reason for this was because they were my inspiration, my reason to start my YouTube Channel and therefore my blog. Yes, I started my YouTube channel first but it wasn’t until a couple of months later that my blog was born too. My main purpose was to make videos and complement this with some blog posts. However, things changed along the way and I also fell in love with blogging and ended up writing more than filming. Despite this, what I really love is when we produce videos. It is just so cool to be able to watch back and share all the things that we have been doing and appreciate all the opportunities that we have had so far.

My sister in one of her TV Shows

I guess this is because I remember watching my sister, who is a psychologist, on television and making such cool TV programs. She is well known in my country and I went with her on many occasions when she was filming her own shows or when she was invited as a guest on another show. This world of being in front of the camera was not unfamiliar to me, well at least I had some ideas. Obviously, I never thought of filming and started talking to the camera on my own. Of course it’s a totally different level but what I wanted to say was that I think I was building up that need to express myself through the camera and having been inspired by my sister. I hope it makes sense! Now I understand it but I probably didn’t at the time – I feel incredibly proud of my sister for being able to do something like that. She definitely has talent.

Anyway, I guess this all led me towards starting this new adventure. As I’ve already said Jonathan and Anna were my main inspiration. I followed Anna first as she also has a blog and I fell in love with her! She is beautiful. I was pregnant with Sienna at the time and she was expecting her second child so there was something in common. I then started following their family channel which shows their daily lives and since then I never went back. They upload daily, so I always look forward to checking my email notifications for when their new video is published, at around 6 pm every day.

I have mentioned to many people about them being my IDOLS and how cool it would be if one day I can meet them. I have seen them going to special meeting ups in their videos but I have never had the opportunity to go to one. Also, I’m not very good with massive crowds. Honestly, it makes me nervous and very claustrophobic.

On my way to BlogFest 16

This time was different, as I was going to meet them in my element as they were coming to speak to bloggers and vloggers who wanted to find out tips about growing a successful YouTube channel! For weeks, I was looking forward to all the things I wanted to tell them and Nick and I had some questions for them too. We were hoping to do a quick vlog when we met them and to have a little chat.

Well, the day arrived and the YouTube sessions were very popular. A lot of people were very keen to learn more about vlogging. I was actually surprised as we were surrounded by bloggers who normally write but now many of them want to start vlogging/filming too. I thought that was very interesting!

Anyway, Anna & Jonathan’s session was in the morning so it was not long after the welcome speeches. So this is the interesting part. I wasn’t feeling very well during the day after 3 days of sleepless nights taking care of a poorly 2-year-old little girl that had a chest infection. All these months waiting for this day and I have to start feeling lousy! Typical right? I was dying to go to the bathroom after the first main session, so as soon as it finished, I queued up and went in. Whilst washing my hands I was better but still felt a bit under the weather, so I decided to put on some red lipstick to lift my spirits, LOL! I think there were 2 or 3 other people there but, when I turned my head GUESS WHO I SAW? Yes, I saw ANNA!!!!! Can you believe it? She was just approaching the sink to wash her hands. I was next to the hand dryer so she went there to dry her hands. My heart was beating super fast and I was telling myself, “Franca, forget you are nervous and shaking and please just say something. Try not to be shy!”. This was my opportunity to say hi. It was just her next to me! How cool and at the same time how awkward is that?

I wanted to say so many things but my words didn’t come out. I was so nervous. I managed to get myself a little bit closer and said: “Anna?” She turned her face and looked at me and said: “Yes, hi“. I was just freaking out at that moment! Dying inside thinking that I had her in front of me and I managed to say hi. I felt like a little child! Then I tried to say something like: “OMG, I can’t believe this. I’m a MASSIVE FAN” She couldn’t hear anything as she, of course, was drying her hands, LOL! What an awkward moment! So she then moved away from the hand dryer and said: “Sorry, I couldn’t hear anything. What were you saying?” I just felt so silly as it is not common to me to go and poke famous people’s shoulders and say hi. In fact, I absolutely hate that but this time I had to do it. I really had to say hi. otherwise, I would have regretted it my whole life, LOL!

After this, you would expect me to say something amazing and start a rehearsed conversation! I managed to repeat what she didn’t hear that I was a massive fan and she thanked me. What else is there for me to say? Such a weird moment! So then I said, “Are you speaking soon, right?” Such a stupid question. Of course, she was going to speak soon. She was there to do that! Can you believe it? Such a waste of time. Instead of saying all the things that I wanted to say to her in person, I wasted those 5 minutes with silly questions. I think I was even mumbling. She might be thinking what a weirdo I was, LOL! Obviously after that, she said: “Oh sorry, I really need to go now as they are waiting for me“, so I felt more stupid than ever.

On my way to The Saccone Joly’s session

I went straight to Nick and told him what happened. He laughed because he knew how much this meant to me. We decided to go straight to their session and listen to what they had to say. When we arrived, the room was already filling and we got sat a little bit towards the back. I couldn’t see much which was annoying. The good thing is that the session was very good. They actually answered all the questions that we wanted to ask so we didn’t raise our hands for the Q&A at the end. Also, I’m very shy so the truth is that I was never going to ask a question in front of so many people.

YouTube Session with The Saccone Jolys (sorry, it is very dark)

When the session finished we were really hoped to get a picture and maybe a little vlog with them. I think I was being naive in thinking that! There were too many people and they were in a rush I think. We were actually waiting in a queue to get a photo with them but then needed to leave. I was thinking, “NOOOOO please don’t go yet! I really want a photo with you guys!”.

As ‘luck’ would have it, we were standing with Sunita from Lucky Things, who was my hero for the day. She has a great DSLR camera with a large flash which made her look like a professional photographer. I was explaining to her how excited I was to be able to have a photo with them, and she agreed to take one for me. Just in that moment, Anna & Jonathan decided to leave so my hero, Sunita stood in front of them and stopped them! Yes, you are reading correctly, she stopped them, LOL! Hilariously, she then said to them, “Aren’t you going to have a photo with Franca?” Can you believe it? I was thinking ‘OMG Sunita, I love you so much’. I’m in debt to her for the rest of my life, LOL! Of course, they agreed:”Oh yes, of course, we will!”. How funny is that?

This is how the photo above happened! All thanks to Sunita. Nick managed to take a quick video while Sunita was taking the photo. He also managed to take a photo with his mobile which was cool too. After this, I thanked them and they left! So that was my experience of meeting THE SACCONE JOLYs!

After waiting for this moment, it finally happened but it wasn’t exactly how I was expecting it or had picturing it in my head. I felt disappointed with myself to miss that great opportunity in the bathroom but what else can you do! I never got to tell them that they are the reason why we do what we do at the moment and they are my guilty pleasure every day at 6 pm, LOL!

Have you ever had a situation like this? Did you finally meet a famous or inspirational person but all your expectations were thrown out the window? Do you have any similar stories that you would like to share with us? If so, please leave a comment below as I would love to read about it. 

Thanks for stopping by,

Love you all ❤️

Franca  💋

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