Fall is my favorite time of year, and seeing Montana in October is a dark star drawing me north, a perfect setting for my favorite conference of the year.
I've volunteered for fewer events this year, because I discovered that being engaged in my own activities took me away from others. I hate it when something happens and I miss it. This year I’m leaving time for the unexpected.
Sessions that catch my attention often feed into ideas that haven't fully developed for me yet. I got fired up about Laurel Neme's session on wildlife trafficking two years ago, and have since reviewed her book, "Animal Investigators," in SEJournal. Following up those issues has given me a greater appreciation of the money, social status and law enforcement issues, as well as the cruelty and environmental destruction involved. That wasn't on my list when I set out for Burlington in 2006.
