Though I’m technically not arriving until Friday. Yay cross country flights! I leave at 2:30pm and land at 1:10am. I’ll make sure to wake up my roommates as obnoxiously as possible as I bumble around our hotel room in the dark.
More importantly, why am I going to Boston? For the American Humanist Association annual conference! Wooooo!
I’ve heard nothing but good things about this conference from people who’ve attended in the past, so I’m super excited. I get to see my godless activist friends like Greta Christina, Debbie Goddard, Chris Stedman, Sharon Moss, Darrel Ray, and of course everyone from the SSA (August, Lyz, Jesse, JT, John, Shelley, and Leslie – phew, it’s like we have a miniature army!). I’m also looking forward to finally meeting people I’ve somehow missed so far, like Margaret Downey, Elisabeth Cornwell, Greg Epstein, and Roy Zimmerman.
Oh, and I heard something about student leaders getting a special breakfast with Richard Dawkins.
What am I doing there? The SSA is having a student leadership tract, and I’m going to be on a panel about increasing diversity in the secular movement along with Greta and Debbie. Yes, we get to tell everyone how not to fail when it comes to race, gender, and sexuality. Hopefully the in-person response to suggestions isn’t like the online response, or else I may be running from some pitchforks and torches.
Though I’m not going to lie…most exciting thing about this trip? I think JT and Greta and I are hunting down a place to do karaoke, and Chris Stedman promises me some gay bar birthday shenanigans.
My life is kind of awesome.
Niki M. says
Please, please mention if you’re going to be out and about, for us that couldn’t get to the conference, but live in Boston.Granted, I can’t talk much due to recent dental surgery, but being in your awesomeness would be just worth it getting out of the house still high on painkillers!
Jen says
I will make sure to tweet public events! :D
facebook-740856118 says
You might also get to meet Jeff Wagg.
Jen says
Oh, I met him at TAM!
Andrew Hall says
Fave drinking places in the Boston area:The Thirsty Scholar – Somerville (where parts of the Social Network were filmed)The Plough and Stars – Central Sqare, CambridgeThe Burren – Davis Square, SomervilleJohn Harvard’s – Harvard Square, CambridgeSunset Grill and Tap – Allston/Brighton (a part of Boston)
Jen says
Yes, but do any of these places have karaoke?!?! (Thanks though, haha)
Andrew Hall says
No karaoke, but the town drunks in The Burren can give you an in depth analysis about world events.
Nicole Schrand says
Yes. Yes, jelly is an accurate description.*FOREVER ALONE*
Jonathan Figdor says
The Queen’s Head Pub, open to Harvard students and our guests, has $3.25 pints of microbrews, no tipping is allowed, and has karoake.
Jen says
You are my hero
Zachy Teevs says
My first humanist/heathen blasphemy convention and I might see you there? Hurray!
Brick Window says
Yes, your life is. Safe travels, Jen. (And be sure to take a video of that singin’ for us.)
Sam Barnett-Cormack says
A diversity panel with more than one woman (or person-who-isn’t-white-and-male)? Whatever next!?
Eric_RoM says
OT: Seattle Biology+Beer:J, know about this? http://seattletimes.nwsource.c…“He was decked out in a fuzzy wolf hat, matching the rest of his team, called “The Sexy Husky Paws.” Sitting close by were the “Coprolites,” a team named after fossilized feces. Made up of biology teaching assistants from UW, they professed to know more about biology than everyone else, not only answering questions with the common names of animals, but adding their scientific names as well.”
Three Ninjas says
“My life is kind of awesome. “I’m going to live in the blissful delusion that I had something to do with your phrasing in this sentence.