And then PBLL says to TCI… #ACTFL19

Drum roll… IT’S ACTFL WEEK!

I skipped ACTFL last year because let’s face it, it is not cheap to try to pull that trip off when you don’t have institutional or corporate support, and I gladly admit I had zero FOMO – and you shouldn’t have it either.  ACTFL is a great experience, and I’m so thankful to be able to make it this time, but there are a lot of great experiences in life, and it’s not worth it to wish some away in favor of others.

Still, I’m more excited about this ACTFL than I have been about any conference in a while, for various reasons.  For the first time, I’m giving a full-day workshop on Thursday (let’s talk those Can Do statements).  For the first time, I’m staying at a hotel right next to the Convention – with free breakfast.  And free wifi.  And did I mention I’m by myself.  (This is important for me to get enough rest.  Thanks a million to my dear friend in the Hilton group.)  For the first time, I’m not a classroom teacher now, and my last formal responsibility ends Friday at noon, so I’m going to be an ACTFL tourist.  Top on my list: the Museum of the Bible, the Museum of African-American History, the war memorials, and Capitol Hill Baptist Church.

In case you’re looking for guides on how to make the most of ACTFL, there are three fantastic new posts out to help with that, by people who really know what they’re talking about:

• Maris Hawkins: Hometown Guide to ACTFL
• Bethanie Drew: ACTFL 2019, Here We Come!
• Martina Bex: Tackle ACTFL with Confidence! (Though Martina, I’d be willing to bet you money that @tmsaue1 will be in jeans – presenting.)

They know the conference and the area better than I do, so I won’t pretend to add anything to their great tips.  Mostly, this post is a PSA for the session I’m doing with Laura Sexton on Friday at 11:00 A.M.

We’ve been having a lot of fun putting this serious-plus-a-whole-lot-of-tongue-in-cheek presentation together.  Participants will play relationship therapist as Laura (PBLL) and I (TCI) play the Dating Game, the Newlywed Game, and suffer through Divorce Court and then decide whether or not we’re going to make it as a mutually supportive, successful couple.  For links and more, keep an eye here and over at PBLintheTL, Laura’s blog, but for now, I tease you with a quote from the session.

I’ll be tweeting these examples out all week, so follow me and the hashtag #actfl19 on Twitter to catch more!