5 days. Thousands of students from across the entire globe. One goal: Connect. This was the motto of the Future Business Leaders of America national conference that took place in Atlanta, Georgia in the summer of 2016. This is the type of conference that has had the ability to change the lives of thousands of students and advisers from across the world and that will leave a lasting impact on the lives of those who have attended for eternity.
Day 1
This is probably the most hectic day of any conference that someone may attend. This day was very exhausting as we had to leave at 3:30 a.m. to catch our flight at 6:00 a.m. Since I had never flown before, or even been to an airport, it made the experience even crazier, but it was all worth it. Once we landed in Atlanta, that first thing that hit me was the crazy heat and humidity, something that I had never experienced before, being from Colorado. Once we made it to our hotel, we checked in and got settled for the opening session being held at the Georgia World Congress Center. I had never been so excited for a conference in my life. I had attended 3 state conferences for FBLA, but never the national conference, and knew my life would change within these 5 days. Now, walking in downtown Atlanta in business attire with the sun beating down on you, isn’t the best experience, but I would do it all over again if I had the chance to. When we arrived at the GWCC, the first thing that struck me was the thousands of other students there, all with the same goal to achieve greatness and impact the world. The energy was also unforgettable. Being packed into a single room with thousands of peers all with a high intensity of energy and excitement to have the opportunity to be there. The music, the strobe lights and flashing lights, the excitement and energy that encompassed the room is something that I will never forget from my first National Leadership Conference.
Days 2-4
The next several days were spent touring Atlanta and they were amazing. From tasting different types of Coke from around the world to seeing the real sets for CNN to attending a Braves game that ended in walk-off fashion. Also, you never truly experience being in the south until you have any type and all types of BBQ. The food was the best that I had ever had, from going to several restaurants in Atlanta and one in Athens, they all had the most delicious and savory food that I had EVER tried. One night, after gorging ourselves on succulent food, myself and my chapter went to the Olympic fountains to cool off, even if it was 9’o clock at night. Though we were the only ones above the age of 10 running around, it is my favorite memory from the conference. Never knowing when a fountain would shoot up at you was like playing a game of Whack-A-Mole, and when you miscalculated your step, a stream of freezing water would nail you in the eye or mouth, which happened to me countless times, but I had never laughed so hard in my life when one of my friends would get nailed with water, only to have it happen to me seconds later. The days of magical food, endless laughter, and motivational speakers are ones that I won’t forget.
Day 5
Sadly, all good things must come to an end. The closing ceremony of the 2016 National Leadership Conference was bittersweet. I had learned so many new things about FBLA, how to lead others, and the history of Atlanta, that I never wanted to leave. The closing ceremony was filled with the same excitement and energy as before, if not more due to the increased level of anticipation for those waiting to hear the results of their competitive events. Seeing someone place in their events was such an amazing experience, the expression on their face that all of their hard work had finally paid off was truly incredible. Though the conference was only 5 days, my chapter didn’t have our flight to go home until the next evening, so we stayed in Atlanta, traveled to Athens, and continued to make memories that I will always keep with me.
Too often as humans, we forget to live a little. Everyone is so focused on school, work, deadlines, or what others think of us, and we forget to have a little fun somewhere in between. If you ever have the chance to attend a national or global conference for any organization, go for it. The one thing that I took from attending this amazing conference was to have fun in life, travel to new places, try new things, and meet new people, because you don’t want to live a life where you never took chances and ended up regretting not living on the edge a little more. I learned that life is too short to not travel and experience new opportunities than to just stay in the same place your entire life. To anyone who is reading this: You all need to go out there and travel the world and experience new things because I promise that you won’t regret it.