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My First Conference

A person stands on a blue mat, energetically playing an acoustic guitar indoors. They wear a dark shirt, pants, and glasses, embodying the spirit of a self-advocate. Nearby sit a chair and tables with items, as sunlight streams through the window blinds.

By Reid Parkes

A person is standing on a blue mat, playing an acoustic guitar. With a casual outfit, glasses, and a towel draped around their neck, they embody the spirit of self-advocacy. The room features a window and various items in the background, capturing a moment of serene focus.I attended my first conference on Vancouver Island at the Conference Center.

I met the people I was going with at Scott Road Connections on Thursday, May 30th. I got into the recreation van with my packed bag and we drove to the ferry together.

Once we got onto the ferry, I had a tuna salad sandwich. We were on the ferry for an hour or two. Then we got to the three star Courtyard by Marriott Hotel. I shared a room with my friend, so I had a roommate. We stayed up late and we listened to music on YouTube.

At the conference I participated in many sessions. I did Websites 101, Social Media and I went to the opening Keynote session and joined other sessions too. I learned a lot and it was a great learning process for me.

We had breaks in between sessions. We had cookies from the dessert table at the conference. We had a free lunch and DCLS provided money for our trip to Nanaimo.

We had two buffets, a lunch buffet and the buffet served at the dinner and dance. We also went out for dinner in Nanaimo. We ate at Subway and after that we went for a walk around the Fisherman’s Market.

The dinner and dance was great! I dressed up in my Hawaiian Elvis costume. There was a live band, so we all danced. I danced as well with girls and it was a lot of fun!

On Saturday, June 1st we had breakfast at the Pantry and I had orange juice and apple cinnamon French toast. Then we went to the Nanaimo River Regional Park that is near the BC Ferry.

After that we went to the ferry and got onto the ferry. On the ferry I had a White Spot lunch. I had chicken strips and a Caesar salad. Then we went home.

My first experience as a conference participant was beneficial and enjoyable. I liked all the presentations and I learned a lot from the sessions that I attended and participated in. I got to see old friends and make new friends at the conference. I would be happy to go to more conferences in the future. That’s how much I liked it.

Thank you for reading about my experiences at the Vancouver Island Conference Center.

 

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Logo for SelfAdvocateNet featuring a drawing of the Earth surrounded by people holding hands. Text reads, SelfAdvocateNet and Our Voice, Our Strength in bold letters.
Red text on a transparent background reads A BIG Thanks to our Sponsors! in a bold, cursive font.
A top-view of a wooden desk with a coffee cup, notepad, pen, smartphone, and sticky notes. In the center, a world map with the text Whats your story? is written in a cursive font.
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