Back from Atlanta

I am back from Atlanta. The trip went very well. I left my house at about 4:45am and thanks for catching and earlier flight home, was eating a grilled cheese sandwich on my own couch by about 8:00pm.

It was a bit strange actually. I arrived at the airport before any of the shops or restaurants were opened under a pitch black sky, and returned nearly sixteen hours later to find things just the same. I actually watched the sun rise and set from an airplane window on the same day!

It was a quick 40 minute flight in both directions, and I avoided having to take a cab, which even though my work was paying for it, I knew would be very pricey, by taking the public train! It actually has a stop right in the airport and just two blocks from the building on the GSU campus where we were holding the meeting. Thanks to some good details in my "meeting packet" (thanks to my coworker Gina!) and a very helpful train worker, I was able to maneuver my way through public transportation quite successfully.

The meeting itself went off flawlessly. The only bad thing was our estimated attendance was nearly cut in half by a gas shortage currently going on in Atlanta. Despite the fact that they had prepaid, I think many people opted not to attend due to how difficult it was to obtain gas and how expensive it was to pay for it. Other than that though, it was a fantastic meeting with no glitches at all. The speakers were excellent, the refreshments tasted great, the AV equipment worked perfectly, and people seemed extremely grateful, satisfied, and educated upon leaving.

I did learn a good lesson on this trip, however. I am pregnant. I really don't feel that pregnant and I really feel very good most of the time. Most of the time, that is, until I push it. I did a good job yesterday eating and drinking plenty despite the hectic environment, but the amount of time on my feet and the lack of rest left me feeling pretty stinky by the time I paid my extra $50 to take an earlier flight. (Did you know you have to do this now?) It didn't matter to me by that point. I just could not see myself trying to get comfortable for three hours in the Atlanta airport, and I quickly opted to pay the fee to go home early.

My earlier flight ended up sitting an hour on the tarmac due to a mechanical issue, and I was forced to ask the attendant for some water and get up a few times to try to get comfortable. My back, my feet, my stomach -- everything hurt. I have learned that even though I don't feel like much has changed with me, much has, and I just have to learn to take it easy and slow down a bit.

Live and learn!