The best way to describe what hanging out with the Lamb/McPhees, Alan, Scott, Jason, and a long list of new friends is this. In a brief conversation with Patti this morning, I was telling her that I am rethinking everything I’m doing as a result of the amazing conversations I was part of since Thursday (including, but absolutely not limited to Northern Voice).
She replied simply “I’ve seen you smile more this morning than I had in weeks.”
Exactly. I feel like I’m smiling again. I needed this recharge in every possible way, and I can’t thank Brian and Keira enough for their generosity and hospitality, along with everyone else who they brought together for this great weekend.
I’ve got a lot of stuff that I need to think over/through/about over the next few days/weeks/months, and I’m grateful for that.
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Its that excellent West Coast air that does it. Danger, It has proved addictive to many flatlanders – they sell all their stuff and buy some overpriced real estate on the coast.
On a serious note – gotta keep the conversation going.
Is it over already?
D’Arcy, thank you for your tremendous positive energy, your intellect, your generous spirit and your relentless sense of fun. You made a huge contribution to the discussion, and and even bigger one to the vibe.
This was one of those events that changed a lot for me too — and I’m really looking forward to working through them with you and others over the following weeks.
Finally I understand the purpose of blogging, well at least for myself personally! It’s like all the people you want to hang out with can be found online… so blogging is a good way to hang out with them, so they know your life and you know theirs. I think the main reason being that they’re a sparse breed that is globally dispersed… As an aside note, for the people who have not personally met D’Arcy, I would definitely say that if you thought he’s cool online, he’s so much cooler in person.
I’m strugglinjg to decide what was more powerful; the presentations as conversations pieces or the post game discussions at Brian’s home… thanks for flying over the mountains to be here. I too am thinking about a new course to steer as fat as “Blogs in Education” which is feeling more and more oxymoronic– they are never just “inside” education.
@Bill – I’m a bit worried about having caught the Vancouver Bug. It’s being tempered by the real estate market (and, I guess, with my job being in Calgary
), and by the “I’m HOME” feeling I still get when a plane is on approach to YYC…
@Brian – yeah. that went by way too fast. We’ll have to figure out how to keep the conversation going with the energy we had in Vancouver – and to grow it so it’s an inclusive one.
@Sami – that’s just a more polite way of saying I was less dorky in person that you were expecting
It was great to finally meet you in person – still ironic that we both had to fly from Calgary to Vancouver to do it though…
@Cogdog – agreed. The “official” sessions were great because they were the most lively and dynamic conference sessions I’ve ever been a part of. The Casa Del Lamb sessions were great for equally important but less bloggable reasons
Pretty cool stuff all around!
Alas the subterfuge is blown, but I in truth I would not say less dorky, I would say not dorky at all! Your online persona doesn’t do you justice, seriously!
Glad to have paid whatever small part in spurring you to rethink things, if only to serve as an example of what NOT to become (“whoa! that dude is a freak!”) Hopefully just kidding. I agree, good recharge to the batteries, now if I can only recover from recharging the batteries
@Scott – it was a total blast hanging out with you. Between the insights you brought, and the comic relief, it was great all around. I need a vacation, though…
I just have to say you guys (D’Arcy, Brian, Alan and your extended community) are so infectious with your innovation, your joy in your work and your passion to invent ways to support learning. If you ever decide to leave the academic world, the non profit and the international development world could use your energy.
I’d advise ANYone who gets a chance to hang out with you guys to DO it! I only regret I was so pressed by work that I did not do a better job making time for conversations.
[...] The anticipation over last weeks conference had been building for awhile, and it turned out to the very best of times. First, it was a thrill to meet the awesome edu-blogger posse that lambo, hangs with. alan, darcy, and scott have been in my aggregator for sometime now, and it was a real pleasure to get to know them on a more personal level. I have linked to their respective insights on the conference which all go into more depth than i plan to here. There were many insightful discussions, that i was happy to be able to record and will be posting to this, now ‘podcast enabled’ blog. [...]