It has been a privilege to be involved with the Out of Chicago organization. It has opened many doors for me, expanded my network, and sparked a lot of creativity. The cornerstone events are the conferences, which up until this year, happened once a year in Chicago. This year, we took our conference to New York City, in addition to our normal summer conference. Planning these events takes a tremendous amount of time, but in the end, the effort is worth it. It’s such a great team, and I am honored to be in their ranks.
The conference this year began with a Thursday evening sunset cruise on the East River, which I had every intention and desire to attend, had it not been for a very disorganized and geographically challenged shuttle bus driver. He took us from Laguardia Airport to midtown Manhattan, and he drove right past my hotel on 33rd Street, to go all the way to 92nd Street to drop off the first group. As a result, most of us sat in Manhattan traffic for over 2 hours, and by the time I got to my hotel, there wasn’t enough time to get to the 35th Street Pier.
Friday morning was an early start to help get the conference venue set up. My job is to help coordinate the photowalks, so I spent the better part of the day making sure the groups went out on time, make sure they knew the route, any special instructions, maps, etc. But, Friday evening, I had the opportunity to lead my own group to Grand Central Terminal. You think you are ready for the grandeur of the interior, but still, seeing it for the first time was incredible. We spent a few hours exploring the main hall, but naturally, everyone was feeling the effects of the long day. I got back to my hotel, which was only a 10 minute walk from the Terminal. 
Saturday morning, up early again, got the photowalks organized for the day, and spent the day at the conference. Saturday night, we had to shuffle schedules a little- I was originally taking a group to DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan and Brooklyn Overpasses) and Brooklyn Bridge Park, but, instead, I took a different group to the 9/11 Memorial. The Memorial was at the top of my list of things to see while I was there, so it worked out. The scene was as heart-wrenching as I anticipated it to be. The tragedy of that day, even 15 years later, was still palpable. The Memorial consists of two fountains in the footprints of the North and South Towers. There is also a museum, but due to the hour, we were not able to go in. To get to the Memorial, we went through the Oculus, which is the new transportation hub at the site. The design is astounding, it’s also a must-see. The group was a little smaller than the night before, and we all dispersed once we had taken it all in.
