Recap Part 2: Into the West

I should have expected it, I should have known it was going to happen.  I spent much of the night after the wedding packing and getting ready for my trip out west: first to Phoenix, then Prescott, AZ, then to San Francisco.  My flight left at 6:40 in the morning and I only ended up with about 2 hours of sleep.  As I boarded the plane, I pulled out my notes to practice my speech, but began to nod off.  I woke about an hour later with a sore neck and dry eyes and opted to get some coffee instead of trying to sleep more.  Unfortunately, the airplane-grade coffee wasn’t cutting it for me and I was drifting in and out of sleep.  A bit later on, I arrived in Phoenix and had still not reviewed my notes, but I had all morning to do so.  I just needed to get to the conference first.

With ease (thank God in hindsight…) I made it to the conference center by public transportation, carrying my entire luggage, in time to pick up my packet.  Free coffee and snacks were given out, so I decided to have some breakfast and look at the program schedule to find out where my presentation room was.  As I was finishing up breakfast, I ran into some former classmates from the University of Louisville.  Again, it was refreshing to see familiar faces after being away for some time, so I caught up with them and passed the time.  Looking at my watch, I realized I only had an hour until my session began – and I had still not reviewed my notes.  I hurried to find the room so I could practice and run through my presentation, but was disappointed to find it filled with an ongoing session.  It would end in 30 minutes, so I decided to grab a cup of coffee for the presentation and then come back to review in the presentation room.

Again, my foresight (or maybe just common sense) failed me.  I should have known that a conference with over 10,000 participants trying to get coffee from one Starbucks would be a nightmare.  I stood in line for 20 minutes, then realized that I hadn’t even gone halfway through the line and I was still dragging my bags around.  Frustrated, tired, and hungry – I decided to step outside and walk down to the street to the Einstein Bagel Bros. shop for a cup of coffee instead.  I walked up and down the street to no avail – I know from the map that it should have been right there, but could not find it.  Looking at the time, I gave up and headed back to the meeting room.  Only 10 minutes remained until our session began and my notes remained in the same spot that I had packed them the night before.  I had very successfully wasted many hours without practicing my presentation and I began to realize that it was too late.  

I look so smug, but trust me, I'm just falling asleep.

When the time came to present, I went to the front of the room, loaded my presentation, and opened up with a couple witty jokes.  The crowd laughed light-heartedly which helped ease my tension.  Once the slides came on the full screen, I saw Dr. Evans (my thesis advisor) enter the room and I began to talk.  By the grace of God, the words and information that had been sealed away in my head re-opened and poured out like valuables neatly preserved in a lockbox.  I tried to keep the audience engaged full-time, but some of them were as tired as I was.  By the end of the talk, I noticed I had ended at the time limit and now awaited the QA session – sometimes the easiest part and sometimes the hardest.  Despite my initial concern that I appeared unorganized and scatterbrained, I received very positive feedback and met with some important figures after the talk.  They were impressed and curious as to the future of my work – but those were answers even I did not know.  I was even presented with an opportunity to pursue a PhD at UMass in Boston in Public Policy – though it would have been a 7 year program.  In the end, I earned 2^nd place in the competition, which came with a small monetary prize!  I had a resurgence of thanks in my heart for all the opportunities I’ve been given these recent years, for the people who have helped enable them, and to God for his guidance and answering my prayers.

Following the conference, I was picked up by a very close friend, Kane, who is following his dreams to become a pilot and studying at Embry-Riddle University.  We traveled to Prescott where I was able to witness the tranquility and vastness of the southwest.  From the starry nights to the cloudless days, I felt at peace with the world and the direction of my life.  Though I always wonder where I will end up in the subsequent phases in life, I still strive to feel that comfort and joy in the present moment.  Sometimes, on the road you forget to take time and see what’s around you – but being in Prescott allowed me to do just that.  It feels comforting to know that you have friends who keep that open door policy, no matter the circumstance.

From Prescott, I made one final stop before returning home from out west: San Francisco.  Two other good friends of mine, Michael and Paul, live in the bay area and I had been longing to see them.  It’s interesting how one can visit a friend who they have not seen in quite a while and pick up conversation as if no time had passed.  In the grand scheme of life, not much time had passed, but being away from family and friends can make it feel so.  However, being away from those comforts and loved ones makes the heart grow fonder and stronger.  We had a memorable night at Paul’s house with a home-cooked meal from Golbi, Paul’s girlfriend, and drank home-made wine that Michael made.  We stoked the fire and enjoyed each other’s company until late into the night – and I realized it’s those nights I’ll remember forever, the ones where we are truly alive in the moment.