As you may have guessed by previous postings, I LOVED touring San Francisco and my experience at 2008 RWA National. Here are a few things I learned while there.

• Chinese take-out tastes a whole lot better in California than it does in Pennsylvania.
• All major cities are NOT alike.
• San Francisco’s culture is unique, undefinable, and exhilarating.
• The temperature of a city does make a difference. To me, San Francisco’s is heaven on earth.
• When going to a conference, check in early (but try to avoid those pesky power outages).
• A hotel lobby filled with women’s voices is very loud.
• Quiet spaces are available, even in a hotel filled with 2,000 women (and a few men) in a city the size of San Francisco.
• Every conference has a different mood.
• The San Francisco Marriott has the best staff I have ever encountered in a conference hotel.
• Conference lunches may taste the same everywhere, but extraordinary service, good company, and a great speaker can make you actually enjoy the chicken dish.
• Late night and early morning talks are the best.
• Networking is little more than talking and listening to other professionals – a whole lot of listening.
• An author’s name is her brand (thank you, MH!).
• Opportunities for success don’t come around that often. When they do, be ready.
• Holding your published book takes persistence and raw grit, but if you want it and are willing to work for it, it will happen.
• Getting published is only the beginning.

and finally

• While it may true that there is no place like home – I left my heart in San Francisco…

What did you learn at RWA National, or at the last conference you attended?