I’m writing this post on the bus into work, and boy, is it like coming back to reality with a bump.
I’ve been reading a few of the immediate reflections of those at IATEFL, from the exhaustive detail of Chia, the heartfelt thoughts of Adam, Jemma’s also touching post, Laura’s almost-machine gun speed publishing, among others. The thoughts and feelings that IATEFL stirs are quite something.
I was only at the conference for the last two days this year, having been present for the full five in Brighton in 2011. I’ll be honest, I was pretty nervous about it all. Last year I was part of a four, with Phil, Callie and Amanda, for our session. This time I was presenting by myself. For some reason, IATEFL made me feel more nervous than any other conference I have presented at so far, even the crazy craziness of ISTEK.
Not just that, I was also a bit worried about coming in to the conference days after everyone else. I knew there would be friends there, those I’d previously met face to face and those I only knew online. But, would I find them, would they recognise me (I’d had a haircut), would they be…too hungov- I mean, conferenced out…
It seemed the former to begin with. I saw some familiar faces, spotted others from afar (I’m not the type to butt in to flowing conversation, nor shout out people’s names). I wandered to the plenary by myself. But it soon became clear that these would become two of the best conference days ever. Actually, scratch that. Two of the best DAYS ever.
These are some of the people who made it special: Jemma Gardner, Adam Beale, Emi Slater, Barb Sakamoto, Vicky Saumell, Willy Cardoso, Mike Hogan, Adam Simpson, Chia Suan, Sue Lyon-Jones, Martin Sketchley, Anthony Gaughan, Carol Goodey, Callie Wilkinson, Ceci Coelho, Bruno Andrade, Leo Selivan… I could go on and on and on. However brief, I truly appreciate the time spent with you all.
That, for me, is the magic of iatefl: it’s the people.
=)
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A lovely post, Mike!
It was great to find you sitting in front of me in Jeremy’s talk and to get to spend a wee bit of time with you in others. It was my first time at a conference anywhere near that size and I hadn’t realised how difficult it would be to find people or spend much time with them. I loved meeting you and so many others that I know from twitter. I also realise there were a lot I didn’t get to meet and I’m still wondering if some of the people who smiled at me in passing were people I should have recognised.
See you at the next event we both manage to get to.
Carol
What a lovely post! Thanks for the mention. It was an absolute pleasure to get to hang out with you again, Mike, especially for an extended period of time at such a fabulous event!
Even though you were only there for the last couple of days, you certainly made your mark with an incredible workshop and a lot of great moments/laughs/entertainment! Thanks for being there, and I hope we get to share a conference again, but not before we catch up over some beers in London first.
See you soon,
Jem
Lovely post, Mike! And thanks for the mention. It must be really nerve-wracking presenting at all, let alone by yourself, but rest assured, your sesh was one of the best of the week, I thought. And as it was the last I blogged about, that pic of your smiling face about to start the workshop is now what greets all visitors to my blog, as nothing has since been posted above it!
Hope to see you again, whether presenting or attending, at next year’s IATEFL – and as Jemma says, for a drink and a catch-up in London before then too, perhaps!
Laura
Great stuff, Mike. I started writing my post on the whole experience last night and had barely gotten started after 1000 words. Looks like I’ve got my work cut out.
Fantastic to meet you and all the people you’ve mentioned here. See you all again soon, I hope.