This past week, Vineyard hosted an international conference that garnered attendees from all across the United States, as well as from dozens of countries around the globe. In all, over 2500 individuals attended the week long event, hailing from as close as across the street and as far as Chile and Kenya. Our typically quiet, spacious work place was overrun by excited conference-goers, conversing in a variety of languages, and shuffling in and out of didactic, uplifting sessions. The conference has been one of the coolest aspects of working at Vineyard this summer; not just because of the intrinsic “coolness” of a legitimate international conference, but also because I was able to witness much of the work behind the scenes that made the event possible. Everything from the planning of the sessions, to the organizing of host homes for the international commuters, to the reservation of food trucks and picnic benches for the lunch breaks was all meticulously planned by my co-workers who I share a work space with. That in itself, was inspiring.

Vineyard came alive last week. The center was ostensibly bursting at the seams, full of vivaciousness and anticipation, and it was infectious. There was a sort of electricity in the air, charging every task, no matter how menial or salient it formerly was, with a particular enthusiasm that undoubtedly augmented the work being done throughout the week. The conference is done, but it serves as another reason why I am so grateful to have been matched at Vineyard this summer.