2009 Travels

So my travels picked up a little bit in 2009.  I had went to St. Louis for a workshop to evaluate one of my consultants.  And since it is so close I was able to drive and Allysse drove down with me because her friend Amy was going to school right outside of St. Louis.  We had a great time! We went to the casino out there, where I was on a winning streak playing craps, teaching Allysse.  We also went on the Anheuser Busch tour, and drove over the MLK Bridge at night which led to some late night excitement.
    

In June-July, I had the opportunity to go to the annual Lions Convention which was held in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  I flew over there and my parents drove up for a few days which was nice.  We were able to visit with my grandma, aunt and cousins who live there.  We also got to see a free Beach Boys concert which was really good. At the convention I was able to meet with consultants and lions over the world that I have haven't met yet.  So it was great to put a face to the name/email/voice.  Overall, my first Lions Convention was a great experience!  

In September, I attended my first USA-Canada Leadership Forum which was held in Memphis, Tennessee.  I didn't quite know what to expect from Memphis, besides Elvis, Blues, and BBQ.  But it was a great trip.  We had meetings for my consultants, we worked a booth in the exhibit hall, and had seminars about the Extension Workshop Program for Lions to attend to learn form about the program.  I went to dinner the first night with my manager and some other department managers to a restaurant called flight.  Everything is served on flights with three different options.  And you can order various wine or liquor flights to go with your entree.  It was really cool.  We also ate at a really cool BBQ place where everyone writes on the walls and table cloths. I forget the name of the place though.  After eating, I took a stroll down Beale Street to the Hard Rock Cafe to pick up my usual souvenirs (magnet bottle opener, t-shirt, pin for my cork board at work) and noticed the crazy party atmosphere and the abundance of Lions hanging out watching street performers and blues artists perform on various stages.  So I decided to hang out for a while before retreating back to the hotel. I had a great time.  I can't wait to go back.  It was such a great time, that I wish all my friends/family could experience.  It was very comforting with all those Lions out there tho.  If they wouldn't have been there, I probably wouldn't have gotten a couple of beers and strolled up and down the street checking out the various entertainers.