PASS the BACon

After being home for a week and catching up on a long list of to-dos and recovering from my cold an opportunity opened up to attend the PASS BA Conference in Chicago.  Despite being a bit cold and rainy how could I pass this opportunity up?

The train ride to Chicago arrived at midnight and I set off for a 45 minute walk to my friend's studio (to enjoy the bed I helped move).  The commute during the week to the Sheraton was an easy walk through the magnificent mile.  The days seemed long, from 7:30am to 10pm, but there were packed with learning, networking, working, and a bit of fun (views of the Chicago river and bowling at Lucky Strike).  The week in Chicago concluded early on Saturday morning with a train ride back to Kalamazoo. 

One benefit of the train over driving was that I was able to listen through the entire book of Psalm.  Until my next post, Psalm 136:1 (NIV):

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever."

Lynchburg, VA

So Lynchburg greeted me with snow.  Thankfully I only forgot to pack shorts on this trip and not the winter coat, gloves, and hat.  The weather did warm up and melt the snow leaving me to walk about Liberty University which is nestled in the valley between the mountains.

The place I was staying had a hot tub and serendipitously I finally found my swimsuit.  So in the evenings I was able to relax in the soothing heat or was able to spend some time with my friend Jason (the primary reason for going through Lynchburg).  I had a chance to talk about God, religion, and beliefs with Ron from Orlando who was in town for his daughter's wedding. 

Midway through the week I went for a run at Peaks View Park and to my surprise the park had a disc golf course.  The course looked enjoyable with a mix of elevation, woods, and open fairways.  Due to the lack of people to join, I continued on with a hilly 4 mile run (in addition to some fatiguing hill sprints at the end).

Friday, Jason and Heather gave me the grand tour of Liberty University, Doc's Diner, the Texas Inn, and a delicious shake from Cook Out.  Apparently so grand I had to stay in bed all day Saturday (except to purchase the helpful NSAID).  Leave it to me to get sick the day before I plan on driving back to Michigan. 

Thankfully I was feeling well enough from 24 hours of sleep and the ibuprofen to enjoy the twelve hour drive.  The drive through the Appalachians- the James River Face Wilderness, the George Washington National Forest, was phenomenal with no traffic and astounding views of the foggy valleys, mountains, and forests!

 

Virginia

 

West Virginia

 

Ohio