I thought I’d remembered everything about in-person writers’ conferences. Bring a scarf or wrap. Wear comfortable shoes. Bring a notepad and pen for when you get good advice or when inspiration strikes. Caffeinate regularly. But nope, I forgot that the air conditioning would also be intense enough to affect my feet. I spent half the day thinking sandals, ugh, where are my sneakers? Listen, it’s been a few years.

I’ve spent most of this year feeling like we were finally easing back into something more or less resembling regular life. We restarted our annual Super Bowl party. I started leaving the house without a mask in my bag. We hung around older family members without worrying about anyone’s exposure levels. And NJ SCBWI held an in-person conference again.

I’m glad there are more virtual options out there now for conferences, workshops, and webinars. They’re a lifeline for people who can’t travel, who need disability accommodations, or who are immunocompromised. But I never feel fully connected to people through a screen. I’m the sort of introvert who works best in one-on-one interactions, where I can see the other person’s face and hear their voice. Without that, I feel like I’m missing vital information. With that—well, every writer friend I have is someone I met at a conference or other event. One of those friends led me to my critique group. I’ve gotten editing work through writer friends, I’ve gotten feedback that helped me improve my own work, and I hope I’ve helped other people improve theirs. More intangibly, I’ve developed a sense of belonging. When I walked into the conference building, I saw people I knew, people I hadn’t seen in person in years. It felt like a homecoming. And that alone was worth the price of admission.

So thanks to NJ SCBWI for putting the event together (standouts for me: Andrea Loney’s “Creator Care” presentation and Yvonne Ventresca’s workshop on revision tools and techniques), and thanks to Montclair University for hosting. I was really grateful to be around my fellow creatives again. Even with cold feet.

(But please keep the coffee coming next time! I really do caffeinate continuously.)