The 2016 TESOL Convention was on my home turf and it was a big occasion. It was the 50 year anniversary, my first textbook was published just a month before, and I was representing the AFT and Baltimore City Community College. Having colleagues, former professors, and new connections all under the same roof magnified the anticipation. The adrenaline was pumping on turbo.

The timing of TESOL 2016 was impeccable, and I made sure to be there every day from the moment the doors opened on Monday morning until everyone scurried out at the last minute on Friday evening. It wasn’t necessary; it was crucial. I attended every session I could and networked with hundreds of people from all over the world. And why was I so immersed in TESOL 2016? Because everything is different now. The narrative on immigration and public funding for programs in general has shifted, and not just in the United States. The stakes seem to be getting higher simultaneously as our profession is making leaps in overall efficiency and the TESOL organization itself grows in size and importance. I roamed the halls and lobbies at the convention center for a one simple reason: networking. Some of it was to promote my textbook; some just to gain another nugget of knowledge to use in my quest to find “keys” that will contribute to unlocking some of the mysteries of adult language acquisition. And with every day there, I refined my ability to hone in on people who could be great contacts. I arrived as the sun was coming out and wouldn’t leave until the dark of night had fallen. As the final moments of the convention frittered, I was spent. My leaden body and feet slowed my pace as I left, but my mind remained ravenous.