I'm sorry this has taken me so long to get to. I was really dedicated and working hard on my posts from San Antonio until I tried to add photos. It takes forever and a day to upload photos to a blog page. So I am still pushing away at getting this done but honestly will probably not have as much to say any more as it's been over a week since I've been home. I wrote down key points but you won't get any detail with it. SORRY
Week 2 in San Antonio. This was the AFPM 2013 International Petrochemical Conference or 'IPC13'. This meeting was crazy. It wasn't as busy as the last weeks Annual Meeting but it had more people there. 3000 plus. And they all were in business suites and ties and working the entire time. The point of this meeting is really for people to get together and network and they did. The lobby's of hotels were full and restaurants, anywhere you went you saw them and they were all doing business with each other.
I stayed in the same place as my last meeting which was nice other then at that point I was ready for my own shower and sheets. I the bathroom in the Marriott was so tinny. You had to walk in and close the door in order to use the toilet or get into the shower. I was surprised by it because the room was so big and then there was this very small bathroom. Well it did have the extra counter space and such which I loved.
I have four main points I want to share that deal with this meetings. As it wasn't as interesting as the last one but it had its weirdness all the same.
1. Military Dads
As all of you know I am a military child. I LOVE it. I does come with its ups and downs and makes me a bit crazy but I LOVE it. I was talking with this gentleman at the meeting and found out his son had just joined the Army. (GO ARMY!). I don't know why I asked, maybe it was the tone in his voice or just my military curiosity but I asked how he felt about it. His answer was amazing and of course teared me up. He said '1/2 of me is so proud I could just burst, the other 1/2 is scared to death'. I may be wrong but I think that is how every parent feels about their children joining the military. I was so happy though because you could just tell how happy was and how proud he was to have a son who was willing to serve our country. It was such an honor to meet him and shake his hand.
In my last post I mentioned that San Antonio has four based around it so I was seeing men in uniform the entire time and was AMAZING. I love it and am pretty much obsessed with it.
On my way home in the airport I got to witness another side of the military, one I've now been through twice. The airport was filled with families sending their loved ones off for Active Duty. For those of you who have loved ones who have served in the military you will know how this feels. For those of you who don't -- well the feeling is like the man said at the meeting half proud as anything, and the other half scared to death. These families are literally saying good bye. They don't know if their loved ones are going to come home again. They don't know if they will see there children again. They HOPE but they say there goodbyes all the same knowing that this might be it.
As I was checking in my bag there was a mother (in uniform) who was saying goodbye to her two daughters and her husband who was also military. Those little girls didn't want to let go. It was so sad. My heart went out to them. She was so brave and kept telling her girls how they were going to have a great summer and they she would be back before they knew it. She didn't cry until she got into the arms of her husband. The saddest thing is that he had already been deployed once and knew exactly what she was going into.
The second experience was as I was getting onto my flight. A dad was leaving - the rest of the family was flying to be with family so they were in the airport at the same time. This man had three little boys and little girl on the way. The wife cried and one of the little boys kept on saying 'it will be ok mommy'. The dad who was right in front of me to get on the flight was doing pretty well. He couldn't keep from looking back each step just to see them one last time. As we turned the corner in the tunnel he broke down sobbed. It was heart breaking.
GOD BLESS OUT TROOPS AND THEIR FAMILIES!!!!!
I cried both times ok so pretty much through the whole airport as I saw loved ones saying goodbye and remembered that we had just said goodbye three months ago to my Dad.
2. Indian Man Drinking
So I had someone buy me my first drink every. I don't drink so you will understand how awkward this story is going to be. We as the staff went out to dinner on the riverwalk one night and all of meeting attendees were out as well. It was exciting to see everything and feel the energy of these people at night in San Antonio. Well we had to wait for a table for forty min. which we were told was actually not that long. As we were waiting, this waiter brought me this fruity looking drink. 'Mame your drink'...'I'm sorry I didn't order a drink'. He left and came back not two minutes later. 'Mame your drink'....'I didn't buy a drink, thank you.' 'Mame this is yours', where I then proceeded to tell him it wasn't and that I didn't drink. Where he responded as he shoved the glass into my hand, 'it was bought for you and now belongs to you.' I was shocked and he just walked off, leaving this fruity, alcholic drink in my hand. I quickly found the nearest waitress and returned the glass saying I was done. When we finally got a table that some waiter who brought me the drink was our server. I found out that this little Indian Man who was only three tables away had bought me the drink. The entire night he tried to get my attention. I wanted to die and all my coworkers were there. Embarrassing to say the least, but that's not all no before he left he came over to the table and gave me his number. He then showed up at the registration desk the next day and wanted to talk. I have a stocker! HELP. He lived in India so I won't have to worry about him until next year, as he informed me he attend every year.
3. President George W. Bush
Yes I met him and it was amazing. I was still young when he was president but I remember what his presidency meant and what happened while he was in office. They are things I will probably never forget. But I'm not going to get into that or the political side of it. I do want to share some things he said though because I thought they were inspiring and worth repeating.
- You can't destroy Knowledge
- We fight for freedom to bring about peace
- Admit that you don't know what you don't know
I LOVE my job look at all the cool thing I do and the people I get to meet. It's amazing.
4. Sponsorship
We had forgotten to make a sign for our sponsors. It pretty much is just a way of saying thank you for sponsoring us and everyone get their logo on it. Well because we had forgotten and because 'well Jenessa is a communications major and took one class in graphics -- have her put together a sign and have it printed a FedEx or something. Oh and we need it in 20 min. no pressure. Yes that is pretty much how it went. Isn't that wonderful. Well it turned out ok and I was very proud of my work. I tried to fit the sign in my bag but it was to big.
oh ok so there are actually 5 points
5. The ALAMO
I went on the last day after we had packed everything up, we went and saw the Alamo. My team was really good at making sure that the entire two weeks we were there we walking on roads where I couldn't see it because they wanted it to be a surprise. So I understood that it was a fort, but was small. So in my mind I was thinking ok in Salzburg Austria I saw the fort on the hill so if this one is a small one it probably the size of a castle or a church or something along that line. I wasn't exactly expecting what I saw. It's like a house. Anyways it was interesting to see and next time I'm in San Antonio I will make time to tour it.
All in all it was a great two weeks but I was grateful to be home.
- I tried putting photos on this one as well but two hours later I deceided it was just not worth it. Photos of my trip can be found on Facebook if you wish to see them.
Yours Truly,
Jenessa
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