Hope at the Airport - on my way to the GA

In a cab, arriving at the airport, I see LOVE.  I am witness to LOVE and my imagination bursts with stories of couples leaving each other, families traveling together to reconnect, and single individuals traveling to who knows where or for why?  But in my mind, I can make up some great stories of heroes, lost souls, magical love stories and comedic family reunions.

The airport has always made me feel adventurous, excited and full of hope.  When I was little and my parents told me we were moving from NY to LA, I was excited.  And I remember that a friend who was sad to see me go asked, "Aren't you sad?"  And as I was getting into the car, I responded quite strongly, "No."  As far as I was concerned, I was moving much closer to Disneyland and for an 11-year-old, that is prime real estate.  (The truth is that I wasn't as close to Disneyland as I thought and we didn't go as often as I thought we would).

As a young professional, I traveled with business people which is a completely different and fun experience.  I was lucky to start my career in the entertainment business which allowed me to attend several conference that really were the epitome to networking and fun.  I would travel with great confidence as a professional woman and enjoyed this time in my life very much.

Once I changed my career, the conferences that I chose to attend took on a different tone.  I began a path of learning, finding any resource that would help me grow as a professional and in my personal life.  Women's conferences, Jewish conferences, local lectures, and fortunately, even my job and my synagogue gave me extraordinary opportunities for learning.

As I sit on the plane, I wonder, "How did I get from LOVE at the airport to my own love for learning?"  Not that giant of a leap I guess.  As I make my way to the General Assembly, I am filled with excitement and hope to learn with my colleagues and partners from all over the world.  To be among like minded people who are all working to create a better world for the Jewish community and beyond is a gift for which I am truly grateful.

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