So here I am, missing a session, to write this article. Not because I love writing. Not because some old volunteer in AID requested me to do so, but because I want to. I want to share what I have experienced here so far. Coming from the headquarters chapter of AID - College Park, almost all the "oldies" have attended more than one conference, if not all. I was told so many things about what it would be like. But this experience has been something different. Much more than I thought it would be.

The casual atmosphere at the conference was a surprise, made even more agreeable by the presence of some very young AID volunteers contributing to the talks their moms gave. Relaxed congregations in circles on the floor in medium-sized groups never made me feel that I was attending a conference of such a big scale: It seemed even more comfortable than our own AID meetings back home.

I was moved by the thoughtfulness of the organizers towards the natural environment. Not using paper or Styrofoam plates and tissue for food was a commendable initiative. Even as I am writing this article sitting besides a printer with a bundle of used paper, a post-it note on the printer reads "Use Blank Side Facing You." I feel this is something which should not end at this conference, and something we should try to incorporate in our life as much as possible. This could be hard, provided the kind of lifestyles we have, but nevertheless, we should give it a serious try.

The sessions easiest to make sense and use of for first-timers like me were the "101" sessions, which dealt with the nuts and bolts of AID philosophy and functioning. The most inspiring session was the talk given by Dr. Ganesh Devy - the keynote speaker for the conference. He stretched my imagination and challenged me to stretch my imagination about what AID can do for India, and what I can do for AID. Not just what we have done so far or think we can do, but a capacity that is unknown to us. It involves dedication, work, commitment, imagination, thinking, maybe even dreaming. It's a vision that inspired me to do more. Much more than I have done before. It was something like we had never heard before. I took time to understand. And I am still trying to absorb everything he said. I am not sure if everyone would agree upon what he meant, or if everyone would agree with what he said, but what I am sure of is that everyone would go back from the conference full of motivation and a new kind of vigor. Since that's what I think must be the most important goal of such a conference - more than a hundred people from across the country sharing similar passions coming together and recharging each other's energies - I think the conference was pretty much a success. I can see passion everywhere. I am amazed to see the dedication that volunteers have. Everyone is so unique and has such an interesting way of tackling issues and contributing to the cause AID stands for.

Conference radio - contacted to be the "antennae" of the conference, we interviewed volunteers. The audio stream on the web was a way to bring up to date all volunteers who could not make it to the conference. Questions ranged from "What has been the most interesting incident that has happened at the conference?" to "If you were given a rotten egg, who would you throw it at?" The best response, the 12 year old daughter of an AID volunteer. When asked to make a wish for AID. She thought about it for 2 minutes and then replied with full conviction, "AID should do good work in India."