Getting away, all by myself, to the North Carolina Homeschool Conference is like a little mini-vacation for me.  There’s not been a year yet that I haven’t wanted to go, though it has not worked out for me to go every year.   I was glad when this year, it did.

How Does It Make Me Feel?

I arrived in Winston-Salem and felt a little giddy at the thoughts of all that homeschool stuff in one place, and just mere minutes from where I was parking.  (Only a homeschooling mom could relate.)  It was a gorgeous, sunny day and I had a rush of feelings as I entered the Benton Convention Center.   Memories, hopes, and dreams, all tied to my children. 

I immediately scanned the Convention Center for any faces I knew.  None yet.  Then I started looking at the faces of homeschooling strangers and guessing, I wonder what style she uses to teach.  Her dress makes me think Charlotte Mason.  Or, no, classical.  And her demeanor seems more unschooling.  (Smiling.)  There’s really no way to tell, and I felt the urge to ask people in line, so what do you use to teach your kids?  People were busy registering, however, so I stifled the urge.

First Things First

After registering and finding the room of the first lecture I wanted to hear, I had 30 minutes to kill.  First, the ladies room.  Then I went downstairs and — be still my wildly beating heart — the books!!  Ha Ha, I thought I might have a few minutes alone down here.  The aisles were already packed!  Rainbow Resource’s booth was really packed.  So was the Book Peddler’s.  I could not even maneuver through RR.  The used books vendors were packed too, with people hoping to find an OOP they’ve been wanting.  I decided to walk around the whole place once, just scanning so I could come back after the couple of lectures I wanted to hear and then be set to shop quickly.  (Yeah, right.)

The Lectures I Attended

Each year, as soon as I receive the NCHE Conference Issue of the Greenhouse Report, I look at “what’s playing” on the days I can go.  This year was perfect!!  I heard Debbie Mason speak on Homeschooling High School and then Preparing for College.  She has very, very successfully homeschooled four through high school.  She knows what she’s doing and is well situated to help others.  She has a vast amount of knowledge, she’s funny, and she’s a great, engaging speaker.  Just to hear her two lectures was well worth the 55 dollars I paid to get into the conference. 

What Did I Come Away With?

When Debbie Mason first started to speak, I felt so encouraged.  Like a homeschool super woman!  As always, though, there were also the comparion-type thoughts and the burning question, am I doing enough?  Finally — and this is the reason we need these kinds of things — I settled on a mindset of going home and getting to work! 

I spent at least 2-1/2 hours walking around and around the vendors’ booths.  Rosetta Stone Japanese will soon be on the way.  (You merely talk with the rep while at the conference.) 

I came across some video tapes I’ve really been wanting.  Put out by Nest Entertainment, I purchased three in “The Artists’ Specials” (Goya, Rembrandt, and Mary Cassatt) and five in “The Inventors’ Specials (Newton, Galileo, Leonardo, Edison, and Marie Curie).  We already had one on Winslow Homer, and I had purposed that if I ever saw anymore in the series I would jump on them.  And I did. 

I renewed with HSLDA for a year and got a little leather binder that’ll be good for my desk.

I found several picture books on Japan, an Usborne book on Asia and an Usborne reader called Samurai.  We are starding our Japan reference books for Joseph’s 12th grade studies.  He’s very excited. 

So that was the conference and my experience there.  Before leaving, I did run into one good friend who used to live closer to me.  I also met a new contact person for some co-op activities.  I left happy but exhausted, and  very glad to be going home!

Lynn