Dan’s job frequently allows him to attend scientific meetings (he’s a research biologist for a major Orlando attraction). Once the kids were grown up enough to fend for themselves, I was lucky enough to be able to tag along on some of his travels. I remember the first time I asked if I could go with him to Vancouver. He told me that I’d probably be bored to death, because the meeting was all fish medicine. I looked at him with my very special "you must be nuts" expression and told him that as a moderately competent adult, I thought that I would skip going to lectures and would take my camera and play tourist in the city. I’d join him for any social functions regarding the meeting, especially those which involved food, but really didn’t expect actually to ATTEND the meeting, just go to Vancouver with him. Never occurred to him.
As time passed, I enjoyed being able to visit some of the places I’d always dreamed of … Alaska, Australia, Hawaii. It wasn’t quite the same as just planning a vacation; we went where the meetings were. But, if possible, we tacked a few days at one end of the meetings for vacation. I had quit my job when we left Miami for Orlando, but I needed something that would buy my plane tickets. I was researching a trip to Alaska, and the travel agent suggested that I sign up with a temp agency. I worked secretarial jobs for a few years, and even took a full time position once to ensure there would be enough money for an upcoming meeting in Australia.
One of the societies my husband belonged to was having its biennial meeting in our home town, and he had ‘volunteered’ to be the conference chair. In helping him manage the meeting, I discovered that our local Convention & Visitor’s Bureau hires people part time to work at many of the conventions that come to town. I signed up as a Convention Assistant and started learning more about what makes a meeting run smoothly as I watched the good, the bad, and the ugly. In addition, the job allows its assistants to choose their own availability dates, so I was free to block of those time periods on the calendar when there was a meeting scheduled. Not much pay, no benefits, but the freedom to travel, and make enough money for plane tickets. It was perfect.
After helping my husband with his meeting, I volunteered to handle registration for future meetings in return for a ticket to wherever the meeting would be held. Thus, ‘free’ trips to Monaco, Maui, and back to Vancouver in 2001.
Here, then, are links to some of the journals I kept, and photos I took on some of our travels.
Hawaii Trip, 1999 a trip to Maui and Molokai in conjunction with the 13th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals.
Cork and London, 2000 the European Cetacean Society met in Cork, Ireland, and we added a quick trip to London to meet some relatives.
Holland and Germany, 1997 a meeting in Holland followed by a trip to Germany to visit the places our daughter had been as an exchange student.
Poland, 2000. after 60 years, my mother decides she is ready to return to her birthplace, and we join her for a look at my roots.
Portugal, 2001 Dan's invitation to speak at a marine mammal workshop turns into a culinary adventure.
Genoa, 2001 We continue our trip to attend the meeting of the European Association for Aquatic Mammals
Rome, 2001 The European Cetacean Society met in Rome this year. I wander through the ancient city.
Montana and Oregon, 2001 The American Society of Mammalogists met in Missoula, MT; we followed that trip with a second edition of the Odell Family Annual Hike, at Odell Lake in the Oregon Cascades.
Pacific Northwest, 2002 We join Mom and Dad in Washington State for a hiking trip through the Pacific Northwest. Believe it or not.