FPS Vacation
Last week was the Future Problem Solving Program International Conference. I took ten-day vacation and thoroughly enjoyed every day, so I wrote it down in an attempt not to forget. This post includes no recipes or deep emotional struggle or meditation on life, love and happiness or any of those things one perhaps looks for on a public stage. It is merely a snapshot of a few days of my life.
I received my medical clearance for Peace Corps a few days ago, after safely arriving at Indiana University for the Future Problem Solving Program International Conference. I have a feeling it was one of the best weeks of the summer - I spent Sunday rocking out to Pandora mixes while scanning old photos into my computer and thoroughly cleaning the downstairs and my room. I know it's strange, but sometimes I just get in the mood to clean; it is completely satisfying to see the spotless result of a hard day's work. And I always enjoy having an excuse to blast some tunes.
Monday I spent on the road with my mom to Iowa (also listening to music, though at a more acceptable volume for my mother's sake), where we had some top notch ice cream at Heyn's near the University of Iowa campus where my sister will be a freshman in the fall. I had cappuccino, and it was delightful - not too sweet or chocolatey, with bits of Heath bar mixed in.
Tuesday we made it to Bloomington in time to check in and rest up before piling on to a bus bound for Oliver's vineyard for wine tasting, pizza dinner, socializing and a tour. The affiliate directors, coaches and various other board members and behind the scenes people work hard all year for FPS, but they have their fun too, and everyone is there because they love it regardless of the workload. Wednesday was a work day, first compiling packets for all the volunteers, affiliate directors, evaluators and staff, then heading off to my own assignment - registration.
Most teams came in on Thursday, so Wednesday was a slow day of chatting with the other volunteers while alphabetizing and working out the kinks before the rush of three thousand kids and coaches. Thursday was more of the same, dividing my time between registration and the FPS store, the "zippy mart." I had a great conversation with one of the other volunteers from Singapore about FPS, the minds of middle schoolers, and the differences in our education systems.
Friday was the best day so far. It was hectic from the 7 am start to falling into bed at 11 pm, but absolutely fulfilling. A simple yogurt and cereal breakfast was followed by the announcement that I wasn't needed to monitor the individual competition room, so I was free to compete with a team of strangers in what is now called the MAGIC division. The adult Multi-Affiliate Global Issues Competition is made up of coaches, parents, volunteers, and anyone else who has a few free hours while all their kids are competing and who don't want to miss out on all the fun. Four strangers are placed together at a table and given an hour and a half to complete 8 problems and solutions, the underlying problem, criteria, ranking and an action plan - essentially an abbreviated team problem solving packet - based on the future scene.
The topic was Global Status of Women, and after brief introductions (we were a team comprised of an adult of a junior scenario writer, a coach, a coach/evaluator, and myself, a former competitor and volunteer) we set to work identifying challenges. The time flew by and in the blink of an eye we had less than half an hour and still no action plan. I set everything aside, asked the coach to create criteria and rank solutions the other two were still writing, and started feverishly elaborating a plan for co-ed olympics, the one solution I could feasibly develop in the time given. We finished with a minute to spare, thrilled with our achievement. Sometimes I forget why I love Future Problem Solving so much, then I look back at old packets or get the amazing opportunity to compete again, and my passion comes flooding back. The other two coaches from Colorado also competed, and were equally elated coming out of the room. It has been a while since any of us exercised our brains and writing skills so much in one sitting. Not that I'm complaining about my job, but it doesn't exactly require much brainpower. I am definitely looking forward to the challenges of Peace Corps, no matter how frustrating.
An hour or two of checking grids on junior, middle, senior and individual packets occupied my time until a late lunch, then I took full advantage of a bit of free time to nap until the senior skits. Somehow Kate's team managed to get a the first presentation slot, so I missed their skit entirely while showering. I picked up Kate, we put on some nice clothes and makeup, grabbed the bag of free Noodles & Company noodles Kate got for being in the right place at the right time, namely accidentally walking into the training day as they were finishing training, and hit the road.
Our destination, the Old National Centre in Indianapolis. Our mission, see Darren Criss in concert. We arrived early to stand in line, saw Tomek as we waited (almost no one knew who he was, which made me think about how strange and fun it would be to be in a famous person's band and be so close to all the fame and crazy fans, but be able to walk out in the street like a normal person and not be noticed), then filtered into the basement ballroom (Deluxe Hall) for standing room only center spots with a good view. Being tall has many advantages, not the least being able to see the stage clearly despite the crush of people in front of me. I am not about to write out my entire journal entry for that night, but suffice it to say the concert was fantastic. Theo Katzman played the first set, then Darren took the stage to mind-shattering applause. Could it get much better than an artist I adore opening for another I adore? It could. Darren opened with Disney and it only got better from there. I love the new songs and the old ones, and I can never get enough Starkid songs, so everything was, as they say in the Starkid world, "totally awesome." Darren speaks to a crowd with humor and humility in equal measure, a grin on his face and a twinkle in his eyes as if he is talking only to you. My sister points out that the man could talk about laundry and girls would hang on his every word. In such an intimate performance space, it made for a fantastic experience, from the music to the lyrics to the myriad expressions to the sweet dance moves. We sang along to the songs we knew and enjoyed the new ones as Darren switched from guitar to piano, from full band to coffee shop setting throughout the set.
I received my medical clearance for Peace Corps a few days ago, after safely arriving at Indiana University for the Future Problem Solving Program International Conference. I have a feeling it was one of the best weeks of the summer - I spent Sunday rocking out to Pandora mixes while scanning old photos into my computer and thoroughly cleaning the downstairs and my room. I know it's strange, but sometimes I just get in the mood to clean; it is completely satisfying to see the spotless result of a hard day's work. And I always enjoy having an excuse to blast some tunes.
Monday I spent on the road with my mom to Iowa (also listening to music, though at a more acceptable volume for my mother's sake), where we had some top notch ice cream at Heyn's near the University of Iowa campus where my sister will be a freshman in the fall. I had cappuccino, and it was delightful - not too sweet or chocolatey, with bits of Heath bar mixed in.
Tuesday we made it to Bloomington in time to check in and rest up before piling on to a bus bound for Oliver's vineyard for wine tasting, pizza dinner, socializing and a tour. The affiliate directors, coaches and various other board members and behind the scenes people work hard all year for FPS, but they have their fun too, and everyone is there because they love it regardless of the workload. Wednesday was a work day, first compiling packets for all the volunteers, affiliate directors, evaluators and staff, then heading off to my own assignment - registration.
Most teams came in on Thursday, so Wednesday was a slow day of chatting with the other volunteers while alphabetizing and working out the kinks before the rush of three thousand kids and coaches. Thursday was more of the same, dividing my time between registration and the FPS store, the "zippy mart." I had a great conversation with one of the other volunteers from Singapore about FPS, the minds of middle schoolers, and the differences in our education systems.
Friday was the best day so far. It was hectic from the 7 am start to falling into bed at 11 pm, but absolutely fulfilling. A simple yogurt and cereal breakfast was followed by the announcement that I wasn't needed to monitor the individual competition room, so I was free to compete with a team of strangers in what is now called the MAGIC division. The adult Multi-Affiliate Global Issues Competition is made up of coaches, parents, volunteers, and anyone else who has a few free hours while all their kids are competing and who don't want to miss out on all the fun. Four strangers are placed together at a table and given an hour and a half to complete 8 problems and solutions, the underlying problem, criteria, ranking and an action plan - essentially an abbreviated team problem solving packet - based on the future scene.
The topic was Global Status of Women, and after brief introductions (we were a team comprised of an adult of a junior scenario writer, a coach, a coach/evaluator, and myself, a former competitor and volunteer) we set to work identifying challenges. The time flew by and in the blink of an eye we had less than half an hour and still no action plan. I set everything aside, asked the coach to create criteria and rank solutions the other two were still writing, and started feverishly elaborating a plan for co-ed olympics, the one solution I could feasibly develop in the time given. We finished with a minute to spare, thrilled with our achievement. Sometimes I forget why I love Future Problem Solving so much, then I look back at old packets or get the amazing opportunity to compete again, and my passion comes flooding back. The other two coaches from Colorado also competed, and were equally elated coming out of the room. It has been a while since any of us exercised our brains and writing skills so much in one sitting. Not that I'm complaining about my job, but it doesn't exactly require much brainpower. I am definitely looking forward to the challenges of Peace Corps, no matter how frustrating.
An hour or two of checking grids on junior, middle, senior and individual packets occupied my time until a late lunch, then I took full advantage of a bit of free time to nap until the senior skits. Somehow Kate's team managed to get a the first presentation slot, so I missed their skit entirely while showering. I picked up Kate, we put on some nice clothes and makeup, grabbed the bag of free Noodles & Company noodles Kate got for being in the right place at the right time, namely accidentally walking into the training day as they were finishing training, and hit the road.
The concert ended around 10:30, and the blast of fresh summer air as we escaped the venue was almost as exhilarating as the concert itself. 300 people all jostling for space for for three hours makes for an extremely hot, loud room. We took our time wandering back to the car, enjoying the city lights and the light breeze, glancing at one another occasionally with a contented sigh. We both fell into bed upon arrival at our temporary dorms, keeping our eyes open just long enough to journal before succumbing to blissful sleep full of strange dreams set to the concert soundtrack.
Saturday came too soon. The six am sunlight crept in as I dragged myself out of bed to meet up with a college friend for breakfast before she headed off to an 8 am grad school class. We spent a fantastic two hours catching up, then she headed off to school while I readied myself for a day of auditions. In the early morning I snuck in to watch the finals for Presentation of Action Plan for the Senior division, then came back to watch the rest of the auditions. Somewhere around forty acts auditioned for the FPS talent show, most of them inconveniently showing up in the last hour. Next year we will post time slots to sign up for, rather than the crazy free for all that was this year's process. After watching a little bit of everything and a brief discussion (we all agreed on the best acts) we parsed out fifteen acts that would go on to showcase their talents on the stage that night. It was a long day on little sleep interspersed with some upset kids and adults who were utterly convinced of their child's superiority and destiny to be a star on stage.
In the end we had a good mix of singing, dancing and some exhibition, large and small groups, and students from many different states and countries. The acts ranged from glow stick dancers, to signing It's a Wonderful World beautifully sung by an FPS volunteer and accompanied by another, to a Queen duet, to a martial arts demonstration, to a mix of Indian and American dancing to Taylor Swift, to Gangnam Style by both Korean and American teams, to an FPS version of Thrift Shop. Half an hour after making the decisions and getting it all posted, we had to be back getting all the acts into their seats and briefing the auditorium staff and FPS volunteers. The stress ended when the first act took the stage. Christian, accompanied by Angela on the piano, filled the space with his gorgeous voice and brought the audience to tears with He Ain't Heavy. He received a well deserved standing ovation, and we were off to a great start. The audience was delighted, enthusiastic and encouraging, cheering on everyone with vigor, laughing uproariously at the comedy, and groaning when we announced that the next act would be the last.
In the end we had a good mix of singing, dancing and some exhibition, large and small groups, and students from many different states and countries. The acts ranged from glow stick dancers, to signing It's a Wonderful World beautifully sung by an FPS volunteer and accompanied by another, to a Queen duet, to a martial arts demonstration, to a mix of Indian and American dancing to Taylor Swift, to Gangnam Style by both Korean and American teams, to an FPS version of Thrift Shop. Half an hour after making the decisions and getting it all posted, we had to be back getting all the acts into their seats and briefing the auditorium staff and FPS volunteers. The stress ended when the first act took the stage. Christian, accompanied by Angela on the piano, filled the space with his gorgeous voice and brought the audience to tears with He Ain't Heavy. He received a well deserved standing ovation, and we were off to a great start. The audience was delighted, enthusiastic and encouraging, cheering on everyone with vigor, laughing uproariously at the comedy, and groaning when we announced that the next act would be the last.
As everyone filed out of the auditorium, I retreated behind the curtain to clean up a bit and talk to Angela (about Peace Corps) and Christian (about life and FPS) respectively. Christian couldn't go ten feet without receiving compliment after compliment from everyone who attended the talent show, but he graciously accepted each one with a smile and a thank you. That was more than enough for both of us for one day, but for some reason Christian and I agreed to meet up for ultimate frisbee at dusk. We ran into kids from his group and formed three-person teams that quickly expanded to eight to a side as others joined in. We were all pretty terrible and it was fairly difficult to see, but we had a blast. I teamed up with Nate and Lizzie and Ellie to keep the disc moving forward, away from our goal. Christian took the kids back to their dorms with many a chorus of thanks and "we will miss you" from both teams, but Kate, Ellie and I stayed out playing for a while longer until I couldn't resist the pull of a few hours of shut-eye. I strolled the twenty minutes across campus to my dorm marveling at the beautiful warm night and the joy of coming to this conference every year. Especially after working my summer job, being given responsibilities and spending time with so many smart, motivated, innovative thinkers all determined to make friends and problem solve is refreshing.
Sunday it was time to pack up, attend closing ceremonies, read our results and drive out to Chicago. The winning action plan presentations from each divison were performed for the entire audience in between division award presentations, providing a comic break from watching team after team take the stage to receive trophies and congratulations. The results were so-so for each of our teams, but the general mood was positive as we headed off to lunch then said our goodbyes. I slept most of the three hours to Chicago, though I did manage to gleefully down one of these on the road. In Chicago I parted ways with my family, staying three days with a friend in her house, affectionately called "Hotel Sacramento" for the constant flow of friends looking for a floor (actually a huge self-inflating air mattress) to crash on. My sister and mom carried on to University of Iowa for freshman orientation while I was entertained with visiting my friend's class to meet her students, lots of good food, good conversation, and a fantastic trip to the National Museum of Mexican Art to see the Santa Ana Condition (John Valadez), Puertas Abiertas (Sergio Gomez) and From the Streets to the Cloud (Chaz Bojórquez) exhibits as well as the permanent collection. I could have spent all day in the museum, poring over all the details of the incredible artwork. It is on my list of places to go every time I find myself back in Chicago.
It's not often I have weeks this full or this varied, so I wanted to take a moment to recall it all to commit it to memory. I want to remember the good days with clarity. I returned home Tuesday to news of more forest fires tearing across Colorado and New Mexico. Today the Black Forest Fire, 2% contained north of Colorado Springs, just became the most destructive in Colorado history, surpassing last year's mark made by the Waldo Canyon Fire. The Royal Gorge Fire, to the south is just 20% contained. I go to work facing mountains black with scars from the last blaze but showing green promise of new growth. I see houses with the final layer of stucco just added, newly rebuilt. I watch the news and pray for rain.
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