'Cause I'm Comin Home Again...

I've had Kanye West's "Homecoming" stuck in my head for the last five days not just because they were spent in Chicago but because my job worked me so much that I've been ready to come home for the last three of them. But I'm back now, and despite my hectic work schedule I did manage to have lots of fun at the UNITY Journalists of Color Conference in Chicago. 

Highlights of the trip: 

1. I met TJ Holmes! I watch him (along with the rest) every morning before I head to work and it was truly surreal to get the opportunity to shake hands with him (multiple times) because I'm definitely not one of those people who approaches celebrities (or celebrity-type personalities). It just so happened that I was with a girl from the New York Post who overzealously walked over to him so I just followed along and I'm glad I did. 

2. I made contacts with people at each of the schools that I'm applying to. One of my coworkers who is NYU alum introduced me to two women there, one of which was the head of the career services center promised to help me get my academic resume together. My other co-worked who's a Maryland alum introduced me at their booth and I got hooked up with a very nice woman there. I also made my way solo over to the Columbia booth, as well as to the Medill School (Northwestern) booth where they actually got me excited about my decision to apply and invited me to an information session that's going to be held in the next couple of weeks out here in LA. 

3. Despite the fact that New York pizza had left me feeling very disappointed I decided I'd test out Chicago's variation of the dish and I must say that I was thoroughly impressed. I went to Gino's East on the recommendation of the cab driver that carried me from the airport and it did not disappoint. Take that New Yorker's! 

4. I also enjoyed the architectural boat tour of the city that I went on and not just because my suspicions that Chicago was covertly Gotham City were confirmed but because I'm a nerd and I love history. Chicago definitely has some interesting structures as I noticed on the cab ride in. It was really cool to get a taste of Chicago's full story. Besides I probably wouldn't have found the Sears Tower if I wouldn't have gone on the damn tour (you'd think it'd be easy to find) and I must say that that thing is massive! I don't think I'd have the balls to go up to observation deck and I don't understand how anyone living in this post 911 world could feel comfortable working all the way up there. Scary! The tour guide also told us that on the Wednesday night before the premiere of the Dark Knight the bat symbol was projected onto the side of the Sears Tower- unfortunately google is acting clueless about the pictures.  

6. My job was really successful in registering A LOT of people. That's always good because it let my boss know that the trip was worth it and I even heard him mention that he'd be sending us back to the convention next year, and that's always cool. 

7. I met a ton of cool people and made a lot of new contacts with people at major publications across the country. 

Most importantly of all, after all my years of writing and these last 2 years of actually getting professional experience, I now feel like I picked up on enough tricks of the trade to actually feel like a real journalist and I can't wait to go to the National Association of Black Journalists Convention in Tampa, Florida next year!