I'm a part-time software engineer, and I want to go to the Bay Area to meet people I've only met online, do networking, meet my employer and former employer in-person, etc. However, it's a trip I'm paying for myself and I will do stuff that's fun and maybe meet family members or something as well. Could I deduct the cost of the flight and the cost of staying in a "hacker house" as 1099 self-employment business expenses? Are there certain things I could do on the trip that would make it count officially as personal development?

I also received a personal development grant (from a program, not an employer) and will use part of it to pay for the trip.

I'm a part-time software engineer, and I want to go to the Bay Area to meet people I've only met online, do networking, meet my employer and former employer in-person, etc. However, it's a trip I'm paying for myself and I will do stuff that's fun and maybe meet family members or something as well. I also received a personal development grant (from a program, not an employer) and will use part of it to pay for the trip.

Could I deduct some of the trip costs as self-employment deductibles?