A chance to travel

So, remember that speech I gave last month at the gala dinner? The one I wrote the night before*? Well, apparently, not only did it go over well that night, but it reverberated. Meaning, the non-prof continued to receive positive feedback such that they want me to make the presentation again in December.

In Hawai`i.

Cool. The only problem is that this non-prof doesn't have the budget to actually pay my way or stay there. I'm happy to give them my time, but I cannot go if I have to pick up any expenses. I simply don't have the extra cash right now. So the non-prof is looking for donations of frequent flier miles, etc. to get me there. And since my dad is a past chair of the board (which is partially how I got wrangled into doing the speech in the first place... long story), they hit him up for the "help". Now dad is more than willing to give me/them the miles, but, like me, he doesn't want to be out of pocket for cash on this (and I don't blame him).

So I may be going to Hawai`i in December. Not bad for a speech written at the last moment.


*I wrote the speech the night before, but I spent countless hours preparing the accompanying slideshow over the weeks leading up to the dinner.