An International Education Conference in Los Angeles!

After taking the train up the beautiful California coast to LA, it was time to switch gears and put on my conference smile. The Association of International Educators (NAFSA) hosts a colossal annual conference promoting the exchange of students and scholars from the U.S. Even with the economic downturn, a record breaking 7,400 people attended the conference sending a message that international education continues to grow regardless of the economy. Back in March, I was asked to represent Erasmus Mundus, the EU-sponsored two-year Master's program, at the European Commission booth. Coupling my two great passions: Europe and higher education, I could not think of a better way to spend four days (in a nerdy PhD sort-of-way). I talked to international education specialists from around the nation about my Erasmus Mundus experience, the program, higher education in Europe, and I also hosted a poster session based on research from my thesis. Okay, I think my cup is overflowing with lots of good Erasmus Mundus vibes right now. Of course there were a few good educational sessions I attended...and the plenary speaker was Bangladeshi economist and Nobel peace prize winner Muhammad Yunus. My thought after listening to his inspirational talk about microfinance: the American banking system sucks!

The social aspect of my LA visit was just as good! The Denver Nuggets were playing the LA Lakers in the NBA playoffs. Go NUGGETS! My fellow colleagues and I joined the Laker fans and cheered on the Nuggets, even though they experienced an agonizing loss. Argh, we (the Nuggets) lost the playoffs, but we did give the Lakers a run for their money in the first few games.

My trip to LA could not be complete without hanging out with my dear friend from high school, Bridget! We had lost touch over the years, yet this visit made it seem as if no time had passed. We visited many of the LA hot spots, including the Standard rooftop bar complete with a vibrating waterbed pods (no joke!), a panoramic view of downtown LA, and a heated swimming pool. I crawled into bed at 3:58 a.m. and had a poster session at 8:30 a.m. I think it's time to get back to PhD life in Athens...