Kansas City, MO: A Marathon of Conferences

My last work trip of the year was a marathon of conferences in Kansas City, Missouri. I would be there for six days straight; two conferences back-to-back. Going out with a bang on the work travel this year.

Anyway, it will come as no surprise to you that I happened to be flying around the same time as my friend Gretchen--though she was headed to New York. We made a date to have lunch at the airport together; it was kind of fun! I did my best to make the most of my time in Kansas City--during the trip, I marked one year in my job with the Society. It was a very different experience one year later, attending the same conference where I basically started my job last year. I have met a lot of great people along the way and of course it was a great opportunity to reconnect with some Alliance colleagues.

There were some great views from my first hotel, the Hyatt Crown Center:

And for the second conference, I moved over to the Westin Crown Center; then I looked out over the headquarters of one of my favorite companies, Hallmark. The fountain is choreographed and plays once an hour in the evening; it was a treat to watch from my window:
I'd have to say one of the most memorable stories from my time in Kansas City is actually the ride to the airport at the end of conference number two. The driver of the SuperShuttle (which, by the way, I am now using again since discovering that the parent company is the same as the one my Dad works for) was asking about our conference. When he discovered that we were in town for the school health conference, he began telling us about his own experiences in school with health and physical education; how important both had been to him in his own upbringing and in bringing up his children and now grandchildren. It was so moving for me, at the end of six long, long days of lots of conversations, work, and a little drama, to hear from this very kind man such a great story. He spoke about his service in Vietnam and how helpful he found playing in a basketball league; he was the kind of advocate so many of us hope for--a genuine one.

And now, I'm enjoying 37 days straight without any air travel. It's the longest stretch without a flight I'll have in 2010. WILD. Plenty of time to enjoy the fall, which is in close competition with spring for my favorite time of year. Check out this tree that I get to see every day at home: