suze on thu 20 mar 03
i have to add my perception as a first timer to NCECA. i decided to
attend at the last minute - made my reservations two weeks before
leaving! i was able to get a room to share the first night with a
long-time clayart friend who i'd never met (i also flew most of the way
to san diego with her, in the seat next to hers); the rest of the
conference i shared with a woman who'd put a posting on clayart looking
for roommates and picked two of us to share with her. both worked out
well. from the first night, talking to people at charlie's who have
previously only been names on a page, i was hooked! the warmth in the
crowd was palpable. even though my body had been awake for 21 hours by
the time i got into bed, i could barely sleep. the first of many
wonderful experiences happened wednesday morning when i met mel, and he
put that lovely orange dot on my name tag. from that moment on, i felt
part of a very special community. i wish i'd met everyone with orange
dots, but there weren't enough hours in the day for that.
i'm still processing everything that happened. people have already
written about malcolm davis, and don reitz, and PB&J, and the mug
exchange, and the panel discussions and demonstrations... and the
exhibition hall... all those were high spots for me, too. getting winnie
wilbur's beautiful mug, but not getting a chance to meet her and thank
her (thanks winnie - your card didn't have your email address on it)...
i didn't know who got my tea bowl until tuesday, when i received a
wonderful note from kathleen gordon. i loved seeing so many shino
pieces! getting to know people i 'know' from clayart also... and i'm
looking forward to getting to know some of the people i met better over
the next year, so that when i go to indianapolis, we'll be old friends!
enough of my ramblings. for all of you who've thought of going, do
whatever it takes to get yourself there next year. it's some of the best
money i've ever spent!
suze uttal kosko
new durham, nh (but not for too much longer - will be moving to
massachusetts soon)
Earl Brunner on thu 20 mar 03
I have gone to 6 of the last 7 NCECAs (has it really been that long?)
They have been all over the country. I would like to concur with the
sentiments here. It's always worth it. I know that many of you put it
off because of the distance. It has been my experience that the cost
for attending across the country, say from Las Vegas to North Carolina,
hasn't been much different that driving from Vegas to San Diego (and
the travel time wasn't much different either).
Just decide to do it.
suze wrote:
> i have to add my perception as a first timer to NCECA.
>
> enough of my ramblings. for all of you who've thought of going, do
> whatever it takes to get yourself there next year. it's some of the best
> money i've ever spent!
>
> suze uttal kosko
> new durham, nh (but not for too much longer - will be moving to
> massachusetts soon)
>
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