MDATS Day 5: Conference
My Journey: MDATS
11/9/2024 York, England
I got my things together, including the heavy backpack full of glass beads and glass samples and headed out. I took my time getting there and saw what ever there was to be seen.
It was early and there were not many people out. The city is so pretty it is like a medieval dream. I took in as much as I could. But all the while running my presentation over and over in my head.
Parish of All Saints
As the time approached, I got some coffee at Nero. Of course I got a cappuccino. Then off to the conference location to set up, sight seeing was done for the day. But there is always tonight.
After coffee, I checked in for the conference and set up my display. One of the other displays had extra space so I used some of hers. I was happy with how that looked once I set it up.
After my presentation there was time for people to come over and talk to me about the work. I hardly ever speak from a script. I have a Learning Disability that tends to make reading difficult and if I lose my place I will never get it back. I had been practicing over and over in my head what I would say. I have been doing that ever since I finished the Blog version. Committing the flow of it to memory working to understand why certain choices worked better. That way, when it came time to speak it would almost be automatic, even thought there was no script. All I had was the order of things in the slide show. I was very nervous about speaking and I could not have been more proud of myself for how I did. I enjoyed answering their questions and listening to the input. I am always happy to talk to folks about this stuff. This project represents the largest academic endeavor I have ever taken on. For me this was a huge deal, not just a validation of my work and knowledge, but also in the time I spent in my academics from high school to three college degrees. I may have struggled with every paper, but all the while I was learning to order my mind. I think when others look at all these beads people see hours of work. I see a lifetime of learning to order my thoughts as a story. Each bead I have mastered is a paragraph of understanding. Anyway I cried over this, the good kind of tears.
I enjoyed all the presentations. Some of them hit home, some of them were over my head and I was working on my phone to look up terms. Textile is not my thing but learning is.
With the Conference under my belt, it was time to enjoy my friends from back home and new ones from the conference.
We all ate at the Castlegate. It is an Italian restaurant. I was advised to try the steak. And I have to say it was pretty damn good and so were the potatoes.
Friends
After dinner a few of us when out to the Pubs. First up was the Masons Arms, which was just down the street from the Holiday Inn.
Masons Arms
There we each had a beer and then there was the Scotts man who was drunk and flirting hard with the other woman in the group. After a bit we decided it was best to move on.
We headed off down the streets looking for another Pub.
The Streets
We ended up at the Ye Old Starre Inne. Once again we each had a beer, once again a drunk man got very flirty. This guy was in town with his friends and they had come up the river by boat. It was getting late and my friends were ready to turn in.
I stayed out a little bit longer alone and explored the streets, but my bar hopping was done.
I too was getting tired, so back to the hotel I headed.
All Saints Parish
Tips and Lessons Learned: Try the Beer
Thank You
Editing and Preparation: Trish, Heather, and Becky.
Patrons: Laura Terhune, Brian Bottoms, Leslie Hodgin, Ellen Rawson, DeAnna Gilbert, Alison Petrisek, Christine Seelye-King, Brianna Ariane Sykes, Laura Gosnell, and Janice Gaulke.
Blog Editers: Osha Gillespie and Williams