When I first stepped into the airy lobby of the Swan and Dolphin hotel late Monday afternoon, the first thing that caught my eye was the grand scale of everything within. Towering columns, beautiful tile, plush couches, walls painted in festive colors.
And the ginormous water fountain sitting in the middle of the lobby.
The fountain, sporting four vertical dolphins–or dolphinfish (aka mahi-mahi), as clarified by our limo driver Ricky–provided the only source of sound in the lobby. It was a strange, eerie silence. Almost as if the hotel had evacuated all their guests–except us.
Fast-forward to Wednesday afternoon and the quiet lobby now bustles with activity. The moment I emerged from the elevator, I heard an incredible hum of female voices in the distance.
Welcome to the 30th annual Romance Writers of America conference! I took a deep breath, knowing it might be the last time I had the opportunity.
As I maneuvered through the crowd of beige Sourcebooks tote bags, I could feel the crowd’s energy, feel my own building excitement upon seeing familiar, dear faces of friends and beloved authors.
An immediate sense of community, of belonging blanketed me and I knew this was where I belonged. Even now, two weeks later, the feeling remains.
Okay, enough of the warm and fuzzy stuff. What did I learn?
- I learned Romance University is widely admired. Every time I sat down for a meal or attended a workshop, someone made a point to tell me how much they appreciated the content RU offers. I had many “proud mama” moments because of this.
- I learned that networking both on-line and in-person is both vital to an author’s career and absolutely necessary for one’s personal growth.
