You Zig, I Zag (Then Meet in the Middle)
The spring of 2016 is a bit of a blur for DreamCatcher. With only two of us in this little baby company, we have to split up when the calendar overlaps. That means two sets of materials for the DCC booths and two volunteers to travel with us on the road. Whitney's husband Drew steps up to join her in Oklahoma and dear friend (and former TRIO colleague), Meredith, joins Aimee in Missouri. Let's pause for a minute to give a shout-out to those who've made this venture possible. These friends include former TRIO colleagues whose expertise and knowledge of federal TRIO programs -- including Upward Bound, Educational Talent Search, and SSS (thanks, Mary Kate!) -- have been lifesavers when it comes to reviewing our materials and providing advice. We have a long list of peeps who edited materials, provided feedback, assisted with booth design, and supported us along the way. Our jobs in TRIO gave us many gifts, not the least of which are these precious friendships. Here's to treasuring old friends and making new friends along the way!
Back to that zig-zag maneuver this spring: Whitney exhibited at the Oklahoma Division of Student Assistance (ODSA) state conference in Midwest City, Oklahoma while Aimee exhibited and presented at the MO-KAN-NE Missouri-Kansas-Nebraska, 3-state chapter conference of the Educational Opportunity Association in Kansas City. Both conferences went well and made sales, although if this were a competition, Whit won by a landslide (thanks to Aim's home state of Oklahoma!). For more about the Oklahoma road trip, see Notes From the Road under the For Students tab on our website. As for Kansas City, Aim left MO-KAN-NE only to return with Whit TWO days later for the GPACAC (Great Plains Association for College Admission Counseling) conference. We managed to meet back in the middle (Northwest Arkansas) for a brief rest and an Alice in Wonderland-themed birthday party for our friend Keith. With three conferences in a matter of days, it truly felt like falling through a rabbit hole.
“My dear, here we must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place. And if you wish to go anywhere you must run twice as fast as that.”
Overlapping conferences showed us that zig-zagging might sometimes be necessary for our wee little company, but we got this. And it's bound to happen again when conferences crank up this fall. Something else we learned? That stretching ourselves beyond what's comfortable can be very rewarding. As vendors at GPACAC, it was refreshing to receive positive feedback about our booth and products from a whole new group of educators! (Well, new to us, as TRIO veterans.) It was truly validating and thrilling to have their acceptance. Plus, we learned about new conferences to consider in the future... hello, Independent Educational Consultants Association! This spring has us excited about what's around the bend for DreamCatcher.
Let's hear it for l....o....n....g tables! Our exhibit table at GPACAC broke a record for size.
Of course, no DCC road trip is complete without squeezing in a little site-seeing fun (and delicious food!). While in Kansas City, we visited the beautiful and historic Union Station to catch the touring Leonardo Da Vinci exhibition where 65 of his inventions were on display in a hands-on learning experience as well as many of his sketches and art designs. Nothing quite like experiencing the genius of this genius to make you awe-inspired for the day. In a full-on intellectual stupor we stumbled into KC's renowned (and slightly upscale) Q39 for a little barbeque grub. If you're ever in Kansas City, stopping for BBQ somewhere should be on your list. This town practically bleeds barbeque sauce. And the goods at Q39 do not disappoint. The ribs are capital D-delicious, falling right off the bone.
On our way out of town we zip through the Country Club Plaza area of KC, which has lovely historic architecture, incredible shopping, and the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum. Rather than stay and play, however, we make a B-line for the campus of University of Missouri - Kansas City (UMKC). This is just a drive-by tour, given our state of homesickness, but campus is beautiful! The urban campus is easily within walking distance of shops and restaurants in a great part of town. The spring flowers are starting to bloom and it couldn't have been a more beautiful day. We pull over to admire one building in particular: historic Epperson House. Something about this massive hilltop mansion overlooking campus is captivating, so we drive around it twice. Built in 1919 in Tudor-Gothic style (complete with a turret!) the mansion is rumored to be haunted and was even featured on "Unsolved Mysteries" as one of the top five haunted houses in the United States. Security guards over the years have reported multiple instances of paranormal activity. Creepy! In addition to having a certifiable haunted house and ghost on campus, UMKC has been recognized nationally by The Princeton Review, Business Insider, and more. Check out the multiple accolades here.
Spooky Epperson House on UMKC campus, rumored to be haunted by the ghost of Harriet Barse, a music student who lived in the home.
Now it's time to get back to Northwest Arkansas to rest up for two weeks before hitting the road to Minnesota! We have many miles ahead of us in 2016, including several cross-country trips. Zigging and zagging across America sounds like the perfect new life as business owners. On to the next adventure!
“Actually the best gift you could have given her was a lifetime of Adventures.”