i love coming home.

especially after such a whirlwind week.  everything about the conference went exceptionally well and the boss-man couldn't be happier (whew).  i hate to admit it, but i'm exhausted.  don't get me wrong, i rallied with the best of them- but that might have actually been my demise.  the long hours, on-your-feet-thinking, stimulating conversations, one-too-many cocktails has left me recuperating the past couple days.

we didn't have much time to explore san antonio.  when we arrived on friday, there was some time to walk the river walk and eat some fantastic food, so full bellies and warm sunshine was the excitement of the day.  we ate at boudro's since we heard they have some of the best guac on the riverwalk.  that ain't no lie- it was unreal.  they make it table side with fresh avocados, lemon, lime and a splash of orange.  yum.  i also had the strawberry caipirinha and the blackened yellowfin tuna salad.  my oh my.  it was the best meals i ate in san antonio, hands down.

while conferencing, there's a "work hard, play harder" mentality.  you spend months and months planning and prepping for these conferences, so when you finally arrive on-site there's a sense of panic that sets in (as in: is it really here...do we actually have to make this happen now?!?) coupled with the relief that the stress of the event is just days from ending.  so while we worked our tails off, it was also a priority to find some amazing food, fun entertainment and strong drinks.  and not necessarily in that order. 

so during the day we worked and networked and mingled and ran.  & in the evenings we gladly let our hair down to relax with our fantastic team, laugh about the days happenings and enjoy the peace of another day complete.  this is how it was from friday to wednesday.  day after day and night after night.  but we don't mind.  that's the nature of this industry & you gotta love doing what you do in the land of events.

by wednesday, i was ready to hang my hat.  my poor feet were killing me (i still can't wear normal shoes thanks to the stitches in my heel) & i was eager to see a. and radley.  not to mention, i had a lot of other happenings on my plate that i was trying to manage while away and many things that needed my attention upon my return (ain't no rest for the wicked).

as we boarded the plane, the captain came over the loud speaker announcing that we had special guests on our flight that would be making a guest appearance.  i was intrigued.  once we hit altitude, we found out there were penguins on our plane (much better than snakes! and yes, they were sitting first class) and they paraded through the aisles of our delta flight so we could take pictures.  it was rad and sea world was so generous to share their friends with us.  

looking back, it really was a great time.  all around things ended on a high note.  and while i couldn't be happier to be home, if every conference went that well, i would have no problem boarding a plane tomorrow to do it all over again.