I have had the goal of releasing a blog post every Wednesday since this project’s inception. My goal this week was to reflect on the float conference that occurred over the weekend. These two goals are contradicting each other today as I am still overwhelmed with processing an incredibly dense few days. Because of this, I am going to hold off until next week to write in full about the conference weekend.

Here is a short thought about the conference:

I walked away from the Portland Center for Performing Arts Sunday night after saying goodbye to new and old friends. I attempted eye contact with strangers as I walked down the street and realized I had unconsciously become accustomed to sharing something unspoken with everyone around me. As I reached out with my smile there was no sharing, no warm smile reflected back at me, no excitement about being part of something unique and special. Just strangers.

I felt a sense of loss that made me start to appreciate what I had just been part of: A collective of individuals coming together to learn, become inspired, and help each other create something beautiful. To make eye contact with a stranger and know that we shared something; an internal drive, a passion, a like-mindedness that is so specific that it would bring us to this incredibly niche conference. That’s something that should hurt when it ends. This weekend is something I want to honor by making the energy and inspiration I experienced live on throughout the rest of the year.

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