Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Honey, I'm Home!

Okay, I've been away for quite some time. I have spent the past two weeks visiting a variety of small genealogy conferences. At the Utah Genealogical Association meeting and the Northern Utah Genealogy and Family History Jamboree, I was able to revitalize my spirit. Once again I am ready to share ideas and resources with fellow genealogists.
It is very exciting to attend and present a program at a conference. The enthusiasm is infectious. New genealogists, along with the experienced researchers, all come together to share information and skills. It was a pleasure to lecture to the groups at these two conferences. At the same time, the exhibition hall always introduces new publications and tools that open new doors for further research.
I am consciously working to avoid any type of recommendations, yet there were some programs that warrant mentioning. I find it always valuable to attend sessions on migration patterns in the United States. The questions will continue for as long as we have genealogy: why did our ancestors move from point A to point B? And, how did they get there? In addition, technologies are changing so rapidly that any sessions offered on new technologies and tools of research are worth sitting in.
So, it has been a very busy couple of weeks. I am still trying to mentally absorb all of the information presented in the Utah conferences. But there is no doubt that attending several conferences each year, whether as a presentor or simply an attendee, the event always invigorates me and inspires me to strive for greater achievement.
I suppose I should mention my own program. I lectured on identifying and using Southern Archives for Genealogy and Family History Research. I personally thought it was a great topic and well received. But, the reviews will come in in a few weeks. Regardless of my own success, it was an invigorating and challenging couple of weeks.