NCVS 2013 - Day #4

Sorry for the delay but I was EXHAUSTED when I got home and I completely forgot to blog until now. If you want a much more detailed account of our travels (and other hilarity in general), read mom's blog.

We got up early on Saturday morning knowing that we had a long day ahead of us and lots of stuff we still wanted to see. I delivered my laptop back to my travelling friend so she could drive it home instead of me having to drag it through multiple trains and airports. Mom and I used our multi-day metro passes (which we totally got our money's worth on! I highly recommend!) to get out to the Eastern Market which is normally just food items all week but on the weekends get the lovely addition of craft vendors. I have a newly loved habit of taking home a small piece of art to hang in my home (remember last year's Bean painting?) so we purchased a neat little watercolor of the Capitol building since political science is kinda my thing. We then purchased tickets to do the "hop on, hop off" tourist bus where we proceeded to see as many monuments as possible, find a loved one in Arlington, and I proceeded to get sunburned. Lovely and unexpected. Oh well. It was a beautiful and warm day and I dearly enjoyed my mom's company.

When we wrapped up our touristy stuff, we headed back to my friend K's house to get our stuff by way of a bus since they were doing work on the trains so I thought it was a little amusing that this is how I got home that night: bus to train station, train to end of the line, taxi to airport, plane to Atlanta, Groome shuttle to Chattanooga, then my sweet guy picked me up. So yeah, travelling is exhausting.

I did a little laundry and hung out with my guy on Sunday then worked on Monday. Next post - camp.

NCVS 2013 - Day #1

Today began super early - like 4:30 early - because I got up and showered and got everything together to take the Sister Shuttle (meaning, my sister drove us) to the Atlanta Airport. I am super excited that my mom is traveling with me because she is hysterical - and is generally a fun travel partner because she gets excited about everything. We made it to DC - after a flight from Atlanta to Baltimore (because it was WAY cheaper), a bus to the Metro, and then 2 trains to my friend's house where we are staying. We dropped stuff off and then headed pretty much straight to the conference center (2 more train rides).

Met up with our cop-presenters (that we haven't ever met in real life - just over the computer screen!) and mom and I grabbed some lunch at Subway. My first session was at 1:30 and then we had the opening plenary (J.R. Martinez! Neil Bush! Bill O'Reilly - sorry no exclamation point for him, and a bunch of other folks I can't remember) and a performance by two phenomenal high school marching bands. Plenty for one day for me...

Mom and I strolled down a couple of blocks to Chinatown, took pictures of the beautiful arch entry, and then ate dinner at an Irish pub. Yeah - I know, weirdos. Good adult beverages and a perfect front window spot for people watching and dinner was good.

Back at the friend's house now, holded up massaging my aching feet. :)

We present at 10:30 in the morning so any good thoughts you want to send my way would be awesome. True confession: I am pretty nervous...

NCVS

I don't know if you recall my trip last summer to Chicago for the National Conference on Volunteerism and Service but this summer the same conference is taking place in Washington, DC. They move the location every year so it is fun to see - the last day of the conference - where it is going to be the following year. Our GS council has had some budget cuts this year - like everyone, I suppose, especially non-profits who depend on others for their income - so we weren't going to be able to send any staff to the conference this year. One of my co-workers and I devised a plan that we would submit a proposal to teach a session at the conference, knowing that if we got accepted, they would pay our registration fee (which, even at early bird rates, is $500). Much to our surprise and excitement, we were accepted! We were asked to join forced with some great ladies from out west (who work for AmeriCorps Vista programs) because our sessions are similiar in nature.

Our session is built on the idea of the Girl Scout Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards - knowing that we can teach girls to engage in meaningful, sustainanable community service projects. And knowing that this training isn't limited to females - that all  youth can be taught to love community service and to begin a lifetime of service by starting young. We will be a part of the youth track of the conference and we are crazy excited!