The Good Ol’ Summer Time
It's finally summer! The motorcycle has been polished, the rose bush on the back porch is blooming, and conferences are happening all over the country. Get out, enjoy the scenery, and attend a meeting.
I try to incorporate conferences into vacations. It's a good time to unwind, do something different, stay involved, look at things in a fresh light, and go to parts of the country you may not normally travel to. I'm headed to New Orleans for the annual AAE conference. Last year's meeting in San Francisco was fun, and I have to imagine New Orleans being great, too: walking down Bourbon Street, seeing the French Quarter, maybe even taking in a fan boat ride among the alligators. If nothing else, there should be some great jazz to listen to.
After New Orleans, it's off to the 69th annual Sturgis bike rally. It's a nice ride to South Dakota and a great way to unwind from a serious conference and do something totally fun and schedule-free. My alter ego is to take off the scrubs or suit and don my leather chaps and helmet and ride into the wind. My job is serious enough; I need to relax at times and riding the bike 2,000 miles is a great getaway. If I had planned better, I would hit the AARC conference in Florida right before, but alas, there's always next year.
Get out and go to a conference. Meet some new people. Get a new perspective. Hear some other ideas about the state of respiratory care. Don't forget to stop and smell the roses. Enjoy the sights and sounds of someplace new. Hit the highways of this great land and see where they take you. You've worked hard all year. Spend some time rewarding yourself and have some fun!
All my best,
Jim Thacker, CRT, AE-C, RCP