Several years ago, I got an email from a woman named Justine, inviting me to become a Nintendo Brand Enthusiast. They were working on reaching out to women and asked me to participate in a program called “Girlfriend’s Guide to Gaming.” I said yes and began relationship with these folks that’s now in its fourth year.

A month ago, Justine got in touch again, announcing that Nintendo was inviting all of its Brand Ambassadors to an event in Seattle, as part of the launch of the new Nintendo 3DS. More than 100 of us flew to the Pacific Northwest to discover what the 3DS was all about.

We spent a day playing a variety of different 3D games, getting a tour of Nintendo’s most gorgeous new building (complete with couches shapes like the cross-hatch buttons that are on all Nintendo systems) and shopping in Nintendo’s employee store. I met many wonderful women (far too many to even begin to list) and had a fabulous dinner at Black Bottle.

Oh, and if you’re curious, the Nintendo 3DS is pretty much the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. When I first got my hands on one, a string of incredulous expletives exited my mouth. I’m afraid my language was a bit blue for the immediate company but it was so gobsmacked by the reality of 3D without glasses that I couldn’t hold it in. Oops.

So now the disclosure. Nintendo paid for my travel, food and accommodations. They also gave me a 3DS. However, my opinions are entirely my own.