Welcome to New Conference Attendees 11/10/22, 8:15 PM – 11/10/22, 8:45 PM

It seemed at first like a large room, full of wat you might expect, newbies and more awaiting to see and hear what this Humanities Conference and experience is all about.

What I do recall – (no thanks to my notes and complete portfolio of business cards that little did I know would be stolen on my way home in 2 days), I DO remember meeting a member from the Alaska Humanities Council, I DO remember, learning about a name of a specific type of bear that I had never heard of – and being able to discuss the experiences of others that had been a part of the Humanities Board and Council longer than I had. This conversation among familiar members and newer members – helped more than can be expressed.

We were asked as a group to stand in the line, and move along that long long long long line of members in this group, to move far right, or far left, or in the middle based on various questions given to us. Questions ranged from types of books we liked to read – types of weather we liked to read those types of books in, and a small range of other questions that were in the area of the level of how much we craved dessert, and being a morning or night person.

Yes this all sounds pretty run of the mill right? Typical, ice breaker dread kind of experiences you would think, and yet, it was not. the conversations that were had in between these moments of where we found ourselves in the line, as well as just realizing how many people from around the world were beside us, endeared the moments we are in this together among all of us.

Coming before the opening speaker after this event, I do have to say, this was a spectacular experience and helped me realize how completely surrounded I was by individuals from literally all around the globe, and how we each shared the power to bring change, creativity, and progress to each of our corners of the globe.