Encapsulating Rotary in Three Days

My host Bangkok Rotarians meet my sponsor Foster City Rotarians at the Wheelchair Booth at the Convention!

Mark Flegel and I at the Major Donor Dinner

While it is impossible to encapsulate all that I have experienced with Rotary over the past two weeks – exhaustion and awe pretty much sums it up!

While attending a Convention, you really must be prepared and wearing your best smile at all times, as the networking opportunities are one of a kind and endless.  There are introductory speeches and sessions to attend, booths in the House of Friendship to visit, meetings with colleagues, partnerships and networks to be formed.  I nearly had to learn to like coffee in order to take advantage of all of the networking opportunities because you were always chatting with someone whether it be in between breakout sessions, waiting in line at registration, at a cocktail party, dinner event, or on the bus commuting to and from the Convention!

My first steak (non-Thai food) in a LONG time :)

I can also say that I have a new appreciation for heads of states and celebrities that do these kinds of things on a daily basis.  For me, attending fancy formal events after spending over ten hours running around sessions meeting new people, while always smiling and exhibiting your best conversational skills, while looking perfect melting in Bangkok’s heat…was exhausting!  Not to mention, I am also in the middle of final exams and trying to do everything at once was like trying to perform a magic trick!

One of the shows at the Convention - they were AMAZING!

However, I can say that without a doubt, this was the most productive, helpful and memorable conference I have attended to date.  The friendships and networking connections that I made were incredible, and the entire performance with presenters, dancers and display was impressive.  I am incredibly thankful to Rotary for giving me this opportunity and being able to meet so many other individuals who share similar passions in making the world a better place.   

 We youngsters certainly have some large shoes to fill within the Rotary world, but I am confident given the wonderful young Rotaractors and scholars that I met at the Convention – we will rise to the challenge!