I'm glad that you two enjoyed the pre-conference, but I don't think there's anything wrong with recognizing that having to deal with large groups of people and being shut in a building throughout the daylight hours just isn't your thing. I wouldn't call it a failure; I would call it a learning experience. After all, there are lots of other ways to get that information that don't involve putting yourself through a lot of discomfort or worse.

Personally, I have to put on my "big city persona" to get through anything that involves large groups (that or be a performer/presenter/etc. - basically I can't take being part of the crowd), and it's useable duration is 48 hours at best, heh.

Thanks for saying that --- you're right that it's a learning experience just to figure out what works for us and what doesn't. I do tend to get my best information out of books, but thought I should branch out and at least try another method. Now I can say I've tried it and know what we can and can't do.

Many people feel the way you did about going to a conference. I am a social person, live in suburbia, hang out with ~6 people all day in lab but I discovered years ago that conferences are exausting and although I do go to 1 week conferences for work, I never plan on going to each event at the conference. I pick and choose the most interesting lectures then relax in my room or walk through the city and find neat hidden places to relax in between lectures. When I went to SDB meeting in chicago, I only went to about half the lectures although I was there for most of the time. When I went to the SFN meeting in san diego (32,000 people went) you could find people sitting out on balconies relaxing, or planning a visit to beaches/mexico/zoos during less interesting parts (the definition for this depended on specialty).

That's how we planned our Organic Growers School experience, and it was much nicer. I think the problem here was twofold. First, we tried to combine the conference with a family visit, and that meant absolutely no down time. Second, the conference was too far away --- when it takes most of a day to get there and most of a day to get back, that only leaves two possible days at the conference before my "ack, I want to go home!" feelings start.

In contrast, the Organic Growers School was just a couple of hours drive away, so travel didn't eat up all of our time. And we only went to about half the classes, even leaving partway through ones that were poorly led. The result was a lot of great learning without feeling overwhelmed.

Teeeheee! I'm not laughing AT you guys, but WITH you. I am seeking my agricultural education, and sometimes, I find myself asking "is that really worth my time away from the farm?" It's a very cool time we live in that so many educational opportunities exist. Just watch out for those windowless conference rooms!

Boy, I read your second sentence as "I'm not laughing WITH you guys, but AT you." Clearly it's time to turn the computer off.

I guess that's the sign of a true homesteader, someone who asks if it's worth the time away from the farm to learn more about farming....

I somehow missed this post the first time but saw it linked in your recent post. I felt the urge to say BRAVO! I am so impressed that you not only knew yourselves well enough, but also Listened to yourselves. I am not sure I would have been so brave.

You definitely made the right choice. I am impressed.

Emily --- Thanks for saying that! I felt a bit silly at the time, but in retrospect, it was the right decision. And I'm actually enjoying the lectures more spaced out too, despite missing the visuals.