A fun time at WordCamp Providence

Have you ever been to a WordCamp? If not, you should go. I love WordPress and I love learning new things about it. I’ve been fortunate to attend WordCamps in Boston and New York. This year’s WordCamp Boston isn’t until October, so I was excited to find out about WordCamp Providence would be held August 16 and 17. Providence is only 40 minutes away from where I live! And, it’s a (supposedly) easy drive down the highway. (More on that later.)

So here’s the story of my time at WordCamp Providence. This is why I had so much fun.

1. Going back to college.

WordCamp took place at University of Rhode Island (URI), at the Feinstein building. This is the historic Shepard Building.  I just love old buildings; they have such character.

This is right in the heart of Providence. I love going to college campuses. It reminds me of my love of learning.

2. Keep on walking.

URI is in the DownCity part of Providence. It looks all new! I understand that this area used to be in decline, but it is slowly being revitalized. It was a beautiful sunny day on Saturday, perfect for taking in the sights. I just love all the old brick buildings.

This conference was well-scheduled, with 15 minute breaks between sessions. I took advantage of those breaks to walk around Providence. It was a great way to clear my head.

3. You never know what you’ll see.

There was a peace concert in Burnside Park. I kind of felt like I had stepped back into the sixties. You just never know what you’ll see in a city and that’s why I love visiting cities.

4. Falafel balls.

I always order the vegan lunch option at these conferences. It’s not because I’m a vegan, but because the food is more interesting. Instead of the usual turkey sandwich with mayonnaise on white bread, I get some unidentified plant food. I was in luck this time because it was falafel. I love falafel! There’s lots of fiber in the vegan meal, so I stay full longer and I’m not as tempted by the cookies that are also offered.

5. The high fashion t-shirts.

I wasn’t too keen on the color, black. I use t-shirts to go for walks or for kayaking. Therefore, I like light colors because they’re cooler. But looking around at most of the WordCamp participants, they were tech types. Their ‘uniform’ was dark t-shirts and jeans. I can see why the organizers chose the dark color.

Yes, this is an xtra-large. I will use it as a sleep shirt. You can see the size difference against one of my regular t-shirts. I think 3 of me will be able to fit into this t-shirt.

6. All roads lead to . . .Pawtucket????

Providence, Rhode Island is not a big city. It was super-easy to get off the highway and find the Feinstein Center. It was not so easy getting back on the highway. Not a lot of signs telling you where the highway was. So, needless to say we ended up going in the opposite direction. We ended up in Pawtucket, RI instead of Boston. (Don’t ask.)

I was tired afterwards, but totally energized. I should also mention the speakers were exceptional and the people were aweseom, very friendly and helpful. I will write a post about what I learned at this WordCamp too. Stay tuned.

If you’ve been to a WordCamp, I’d love to hear about your experience.

PHOTO CREDITS

WordCamp Providence logo is thanks to WordCamp Providence.

University of Rhode Island Feinstein Building photo is thanks to Phillip Marshall’s photos.

DownCity Providence photo is thanks to Smarter Travel.

Falafel ball photo is thanks to Eliazar’s Flickr photostream, under Creative Commons Licensing.

T shirt photo is thanks to Ken Loderick. 🙂

Providence roads picture is thanks to Google maps.