Conference Craziness

Sorry for the absence of updates, folks, but I have been working almost constantly for the last few days to prepare for the Interrogating Antigone conference. It's been a roller coaster of a trip complete with white knuckles and screaming. I'm going to be very glad to be done and able to get on with stuff that is more personally gratifying.

I got involved because I thought the subject matter was interesting so I figured I would help plan, do some stuff during the weekend, and then attend some of the panel presentations. It doesn't look like I will see any of the papers being presented, not even the keynote addresses. Just too much work with too few volunteers and too little time. I've been trying to reconcile myself to this reality, but I still have these pangs of 'what am I doing?' because this is not what I thought I was signing up to do.

Much as I am trying to put a positive spin on everything, I have learned lots about planning conferences and the multitude of details that really make a difference in the experience (and in the budget). There are lots of things, despite my experiences with event planning and retreats and such, that I forgot would take so much time, energy, and money. No wonder Gabriella has been working with Steve on this since April. (Funny thing is that I was handed the volunteer recruiting/scheduling when I first joined up so my email address has been sent to all the lists at Trinity College. One of the guys working the ticket office for the Dublin Fringe Festival is also in my M.Phil. course. Yesterday at the orientation, he asked how I managed to become such a high-ranking volunteer when I'd only been in the country for two weeks. I laughed, but I don't think I came up with much of an answer other than an affirmation that it was kinda funny.)

The best thing to come of this is my friendship with Gabriella. And together we are going to make this year of study as productive as possible.

I'll post more once I recover.