I’m not going to the NAFSA annual conference this year. Life is filled with having to make hard choices about where and when to travel. And when you have caught the travel bug at a young age, any conference cost translates begs the question: “Where could I go abroad?” with that same money.  (You know what I’m talking about if you are a dedicated traveler!)

I talk with so many people who are truly disappointed that they not attending this massive international education annual conference that is the end of the academic year (at least in the U.S.A) celebration of the joy of crossing cultures. They’re seriously bummed to miss out on the networking and professional development opportunities.  This is why I have created the hashtag “NotatNAFSA2018” – so we can document what joyful things we are doing when we’re not at the conference this year.  After all, professional journeys do not begin and end at NAFSA (contrary to popular belief)!

To make things even more fun, I’ve also added THREE professional development webinars so that you don’t feel like you’re missing out on some of what a scene like NAFSA has to offer! Space is limited in each one and they’ve been priced to ensure you can’t overthink registration. Be sure to ask your boss, if you are employed, to cover the cost of these options, too.  After all, these cost a lot less than any conference out there.  (There is even a FREE webinar, so you truly have no excuses!) 😉

Here is the #NotatNAFSA2018 Melibee webinar schedule (all at 2 pm eastern):

• May 29th:  Resume Writing Tips for International Education.  This one is ideal for those of you quietly (or loudly) gearing up for a job search.
• May 30th:  FREE interview with Tayo Rockson, CEO of Use Your Difference Media. Tayo also was an international student and has the most popular podcast on culture in the world!
• May 31st:  Writing Your Cultural Stories.  This is a perfect way to reflect on your travels abroad and use your creativity to explore them further.

Feel free to share this post so that folks around the world can participate in the use of the hashtag. Imagine what a great learning experience it will be, across cultures, for us to pop into the lives of international educators across the globe to see part of their day or night?!

So while you will have to miss the City of Brotherly Love, please don’t fret! We will be whooping it up over at the Melibee hive to make sure that you’re learning, growing, stretching, networking, and smiling. (And your feet won’t hurt as much!)

Looking forward to seeing your #notatnafsa2018 tweets, posts, and musings. Photos are encouraged! 🙂 (And please do hit share so we can reach as many people who aren’t heading to Philly as possible!) 🙂