The Big Day Has Finally Arrived,
"We’re Heading to D.C."
Morris (husband) and I
arrived in DC on the afternoon of Wednesday, September
3rd. The AARP had taken care of everything for us.
We stayed in a beautiful hotel, the Renaissance
Mayflower. This was our first time in D.C. so we were
pretty excited. That evening we familiarized ourselves
with the area and things took off from there. We were
approximately 4 blocks from the White House and conveniently
located in downtown D.C. The next day we toured the
White House (thanks to our Congressman). The tour was
informative, rewarding and lasted for approximately 30-45 minutes.
There was a dinner party
planned for the next evening to honor the "Dream
Job" Winners at Acardiana Restaurant. This was
the first time all the winners had met in person. There
we had the opportunity to meet the COO of AARP, Director of
AARP Workforce (Deborah) and J.C. (WUSA-TV anchor) who were
co-moderators of the upcoming sessions. We had the
opportunity to meet so many other wonderful staff members of
AARP. It was truly an evening to remember. I
was very pleased and exicted to see Heather and Carmenza from
my state office in attendance.
After the dinner, we visited
the Convention Center to see where we would be speaking and to
enjoy the many activities/vendors that were available.
There was so much to see and do. There were buses
stationed outside the convention center as well as our hotel
to shuttle us to and from the convention. I could
have stayed there another week to be honest, there was so much
information. From healthcare to firm mattresses, you
name it, the information was there. That evening we took
in a concert (compliments of the AARP). We saw Chaka
Khan and Natalie Cole, two outstanding performers.
The next morning we would be
speaking at the Convention. All the winners would be on
a panel at the University Session. Marci had asked that
we meet at the conference room for a quick briefing at
l0:30. Session was ll:00 - 12:00. Lights, cameras,
action - - J.C. the news reporter, Deborah, Marci and all the
winners were now there and ready to go. It was show
time! There were approximately 150-200 people in
attendance. We were in a half circle position on the
stage. Deborah introduced us individually and talked
about our dream jobs; J.C. asked the questions regarding our
experiences thus far. The questions portion
lasted approximately l5-30 minutes, with each
winner having a chance to speak. The question/answer
session from the audience lasted for approximately l5
minutes. This was clearly the most exciting thing I had
ever been part of in my lifetime. Afterwards, people
flocked up to shake our hands and congratulate us on our
"win" and the information we had provided. I
must admit, I was a little "celebrity shy" starting
out. That lasted all but 2 seconds and when the ball
started rolling, I rolled with it!!!!!
Speaking engagement was not
done yet. Later that day we met at the "Water
Cooler" where Kathryn, Stephany and I spoke to convention
attendees about how important "networking" is in all
aspect of our lives, but even more so when job hunting.
I shared a story in particular, where the AARP office in
my state had invited me to a ribbon cutting ceremony.
During the ceremony, I met the Alderman’s
Director. I have been in contact with her since
regarding my win. Networking is an extremely important
tool. Quite a few people in the audience shared how they
had networked and found jobs.
The next night we went to see
the group Chicago (yes another complimentary treat from the
AARP, and while we are on the subject, yes on the third
evening, we were treated with tickets to see Paul Simon,
can’t ask for more). First time I had ever seen
the group Chicago live, and I must say they "Rocked the House."
Next day, back to
"convention land." We picked up more
materials, visited the "Water Cooler" booth to
support the dream job winner speaking that day, and decided to
take a tour of DC. The tour lasted approximately 3 hours
and we saw some of the monumental areas of D.C. So much
to see and do.
The evening before we left, I
contacted all the winners and Marci to let everyone know
what a wonderful time we had. I also told Marci how much
I appreciated all she had done for us, in putting all this
together.
I personally wanted to thank
the AARP for giving me such a opportunity. You
never know in life, at what age, you are doing to do something
you have never done before. I am the first in my
immediate family to go to D.C., and tour the White
House. This goes to show you are never too old to dream,
or to do or learn something you have never done
before. This experience has truly revitalized my life
such that I want to do and learn more and more and more.
I also met some wonderful people during the convention and
University session whom I will be contacting here in
Chicago.
I could go on and on, but I
want to save some room on the site for the other "Dream
Job" winners
AARP thank you again for making our stay such a memorable
one. And to the other winners, it was a pleasure meeting
each and everyone of you. I look foward to our continued
friendship as our journeys continue........