I spent the weekend in Hopewell Junction, New York, which is about 90 minutes north of Manhattan (or so I'm told) and I still haven't scraped my jaw off the floor. It's gorgeous there. I never knew so many trees existed, and all in one place! I spent an hour Friday just sitting by this amazing lake, staring at the scenery. I'll post pictures when I get them organized, though I doubt they'll do this place justice. The conference went very well, and I had an amazing time. The living conditions leave much to be desired, but at least the food was good. We stayed at a camp for the first time (we usually stay on college campuses), and we were't really prepared for it. They said it would be "chilly" at night. They did not say it would be so damn cold that having 10 layers of blankets, 2 t-shirts, a sweatshirt, and three pairs of socks would not keep you warm. The cabin we stayed in had no heat, windows that didn't close all the way, and walls with cracks in them. It was anywhere from 43 to 46 degrees outside at night. That might not seem cold if you're from Minnesota, Maine, or Antarctica, but that's damn cold if you were born and raised in sunny Southern California. I'd much MUCH rather try sleeping in 110 degree heat than when it's 43 degrees outside. I couldn't stop shivering long enough to fall asleep. A few of us slept through a couple workshops just because it was easier to sleep during the day!

The conference, as always, was a blast. It's a conference for Secular Jews, and something I've been doing every Memorial Day weekend for the last 17 years. I've made some amazing friends there, and really enjoy going back every year. The main part of the conference is the workshops. There is always a variety of options to choose from, as well as a variety of presenters. The presenters can range from teens to the near dead. Sometimes they're interesting. Sometimes they're not. It's a hit and miss, but always gives us something to think about. My favorite part of the conference has nothing to do with the workshops and everything to do with the after hours events. (It's not what you think, I swear). On Saturday nights there is always some sort of event for the "youth." (Youth is anyone ages 13-30, as us almost 30 year olds refuse to be called adults.) Since the conference is in a different city every year, the Saturday night event varies. Some years we go out on the town, other years we hit up a family fun center, or amusement park. This year we stayed on the campground and did a badass scavenger hunt. It was part quest, part hunt, and total fun. With the exception of one girl, the people in my group were…less than intelligent. But that just added to the entertainment. Aside from the Saturday night festivities, there is a "talent" show on Sunday night after the banquet. I say "talent" because usually there are less participants with talent than there are participants without talent. Some people just straight rock. This year we had several amazing piano players, some fairly good singing, and a couple of comedy acts. We also had some not so great piano players, some HORRID singing (She butchered Feygi's language!), and some really awful comedians. But it was a great night regardless of the lack of talent displayed.

The best part of the weekend, and the real reason why I go, is the people there. They're just amazing to be around. I joked this weekend that the conference is actually the one weekend I feel dumber, because I'm surrounded by so many people smarter than I am. I mean, I'm not a dumb person (most of the time), but these people are just brilliant. We hang out and talk all night long. The more athletic folk play Ultimate Frisbee until the wee hours of the morning, and it's great fun to watch them. I get much less sleep on this weekend than any other, but it's so totally worth it. I only wish we could do it more than once a year.