DC Retreat

Okay, I promised you guys a re-cap (and I want to do it for my album) so I guess I’d better start. My flight to DC was very uneventful. Seth drove me to the airport, I got through security and customs without a hiccup. On the other side I got breakfast and used the internet for a little while. During the flight they played “Nacho Libres” but I didn’t watch it. Instead I read the latest copy of “Country Weekly” which I had saved specifically for the flight, a copy of “Creating Keepsakes” that I had picked up from the library and a fictional novel. I also slept for awhile and had an “Asian Chicken Salad” for lunch.

We arrived at Dulles Airport (pronounced like Dallas but with a “u”) about fifteen minutes ahead of time. I got off the plane and followed the crowd onto a shuttle which took us to another terminal. I had no idea what I was doing but it worked :P My luggage was the first off the plane and I had just loaded it onto a cart when I saw Nancy (nowimscrappin for those of you on SS/HSS). It was perfect timing!

On the way to the hotel in Chantilly, VA (Fairfax County) we stopped at Target so I could get the Target edition of Kenny Chesney’s new CD LIVE: Live Those Songs Again.

From there it was on to the hotel. There were about thirty people there. A blend of familiar faces and new ones. Some I had met last year in Pennsylvania, some I have known for years online and some who I got to know a bit over the weekend. My table space was near the middle of the room which was perfect because I could interact with a lot of people without leaving my seat.

I had brought a few different projects to work on. Finishing touches for my 7x7 Country Concerts album, assembling my “Washington Friends” page kits and then working on Diane’s visit to Seattle. I ended up getting a lot done. I finished my Country Concerts album, most of the WA Friends one and stuck down most of the pictures from the Seattle weekend. I had very, very low expectations for the weekend (I was there to socialize not scrapbook!) so I was pretty happy with what I did.

We took a field trip to the local scrapbook store where I picked up a few enhancements for card making and then Eve and I hit Starbucks. When we got back lunch was served. My first taste of Chick-fil-A! It was really good. It’s probably a good thing that there aren’t any locations close by.

That evening we went for dinner at the Backyard Grill and Bar. We had a blast. I was at a table with Erin, Jill, Sherilyn, Dawn and her sister Jeanette, Natalia and Consuelo. It’s been a long time since I laughed that hard :D

Afterwards we came back to the hotel and I scrapped a bit and visited lots. Being on Pacific time still I wasn’t tired at all. By the time I decided to make my way upstairs it was really late (BTW, thanks to Jan for sharing her room with me). I got up there and my key wouldn’t work so I had to come down stairs to get it re-initialized. Erin and Cheryl were still up so I stayed and talked to them for awhile. That made it even later :P

I woke up around eight on Saturday morning and told myself “hey, I could still make it for breakfast!” Of course I didn’t get out of bed for a few hours so I missed it.

Saturday night we also talked to Veronica and Melissa in Aus via Skype. It was nice to hear their voices…even if they do pronounce sauce funny ;)

We wrapped up the retreat around 3 on Sunday. I’ll put my experience in Washington, DC in a separate entry.

~Heidi