History Boys

I was a History major in college. Whereas my primary focus was Imperial Russian History, Colonial/Revolutionary American History was a close second. When I heard that my next work conference was going to be held in Williamsburg, Virgina, I was thrilled. I first went to Williamsburg when I was in fifth or sixth grade. I got to travel with Grandma when she went there with the Somerset High School marching band. We went to Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens. I have vague memories from that trip - more of Christmas shops and roller coasters than anything historical. I was there again in high school during one leg of the Project Close-Up trip. Most of the week was spent in DC, seeing our government "close up". We spent 2 glorious days in Colonial Williamsburg. We toured the historical colonial area and saw the Governor's House, had lunch at the King's Arms Tavern (peanut soup - yum), and visited the apothecary, the wig-maker, and the shoe-maker.

For those who have been to Sturbridge Village or Plimoth Plantations, Colonial Williamsburg is very similar, but better. I only had a few hours to spend in between sessions and the weather was cold and wet so many of the places were closed, but I was able to get to see enough to tide me over until the warmer weather when I make a return trip.

The conference itself was great. It was the annual meeting of the Southern Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. I attended sessions on the Privacy Act and how to best communicate with students in this age of texting, myspace, and facebook. We had a traditional "Groaning Board" dinner on Tuesday night, complete with colonial dancers and balladeers. It was a great conference in a perfect location. The sun coming out would be the only thing that could have made the trip better.