Four Full Days of Conference: Chewing on It

I attended a conference this week held at BYU. It was really two separate conferences put back-to-back, as many attendees want both, but many others don't want to attend both. I attended to learn, present and to chauffeur others in my office.

Anyway, I found myself reflecting on various things on my way home from the conference yesterday, some of which have nothing really to do with the conference itself. Like,

• It's nice to see that other people can love their job, and still not like it sometimes. Or all the time.
• It is fantastic to run into old friends and play a little catch-up. Facebook and blogs will never compete with that.
• BYU is...still BYU. (I still love my BYU friends, though. And you know this is just to tease you.)
• My little boy waits to grow until I'm gone for a few hours every day. Seriously, each evening he was 2 inches taller and a little thicker! He's getting so big, right before my eyes.
• Teachers often act as bad as their own junior high and high school students. Sometimes they admit it.
• Wireless internet is awesome--one of the best inventions ever. I can get work done on the go.
• Wireless internet is the worst invention ever. I can get work done on the go.
• Vietnamese food is delicious and I can't wait to make more. Even with yucky fermented fishy sauce.
• College students are getting younger and younger. 
• Four days of "dining card" eating leaves me satisfied with flavors and foods I don't often have; yet craving my typical, at-home diet.
• Commuting is overrated. Especially with UDOT construction. And especially when the conference starts at 8 AM.
• My husband is an awesome dad and husband, and gets a lot done at home with the kiddo. But it's obvious I'm the one who cares most about keeping the house tidy. And that's okay.
• I have a list of lots more books I want to read, none of which have anything to do with the conference, but more do to with the BYU bookstore and small talk with other conference attendees. (Are you on goodreads? You should be--and friend me!) I can't wait to jump into my reading list.

And there's one more thing. I can't quite pin-point it yet, but I know something is brewing inside of me. I attended a presentation about Utah's Own, a movement in Utah to promote eating/buying local. Ever since I heard about it a couple of years ago I've been excited about it. This presentation wasn't anything I didn't know, but it started a whole slew of thoughts and ideas and projects, etc., in relation to my job. In an indescribable way, I feel enlightened and guided in my job in a new way. It's a similar feeling I had when I chose my field of study in college and again when I got working on my graduate degree and finishing my thesis. I have a renewed excitement for my job, and a I feel, once again, that my education, training, and position have brought me to where I am today for a purpose yet to be fully understood. I just need to keep chewing on it to figure it out.