by Yvonne Ortega @YvonneOrtega1
You and I are not in control. Therefore, we need to be cautious in making plans in 2022. This has always been true, but it’s more obvious now. We need to be conservative and have a plan B and a plan C.
We’re Not in Charge of Everything and Everyone.
On December 30, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned the public that a cruise should be avoided regardless of the person’s vaccination status. Those on a recent cruise had been fully vaccinated, had their vaccine passport, and proof of a recent negative test. However, COVID-19 broke out, and passengers were confined to their room. Similar cases occurred in Mexico and Portugal.
How does that apply to us in 2022?
Travel is risky, and international travel is even more risky.
We need to consider the purchase of a travel ticket where we can obtain a paper copy. Then we need to read every word of it to find out what the fine print says. Sometimes, the website has the fine print there and sends pages of fine print with our receipt.
Within the United States, some conference leaders hope to meet in person. Linda Evans Shepherd, founder of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, said, “The AWSA Conference and Golden Scroll Awards Banquet is going live in Lexington, KY, this August 12–14, 2022, just prior to the Christian Book Expo! If circumstances make it impossible to meet in person, we are set to go virtual.” Please note that the 2022 AWSA Conference registration and schedule are not yet up. You can look at the 2021 schedule to get an idea of what it will be like.
The publicity team for the Kentucky Christian Writers Conference June 16–18, 2022 in Elizabethtown, Kentucky announced in their December Newsletter to go ahead and register. Recordings will be available for three months after the conference for all who registered and couldn’t attend.
The board members of the Annual SpeakUp Conference in Grand Rapids, MI hope to meet in person July 7–9, 2022. Registration is now open. Should Michigan or your state of departure change its policy at the last minute, Carol Kent, founder and executive director of the SpeakUp Conference and her husband Gene Kent, chief operations officer, said the participant has the option to watch the general sessions live online and listen to the prerecorded breakout sessions, to apply the fee to 2023, or to request a refund.
Directors Edie Melson and Edwina Perkins of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference plan to have the conference in person May 29-June 2, 2022 in Black Mountain, near Asheville, NC. Registration is open. Their daily blog and podcast provide information, training, and resources.
All conferences mentioned above have a Facebook page to keep participants up to date.
Comment on what you decide to do in 2022 and let me know how it goes.
TWEETABLE
Yvonne speaks with honesty and humor as she shares her life and struggles through presentations that empower women to find peace, power, and purpose through God’s Word.
Yvonne’s background as a licensed professional counselor brings a unique perspective into the heart of women. She’s a speaking and writing coach and the owner of Moving from Broken to Beautiful®, LLC. She belongs to the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, the Christian Authors Network, the National Speakers Association, and Toastmasters International.
She celebrates life at the beach, where she walks, builds sand castles, blows bubbles, and dances.
Featured Image:Photo by Natasha Hall on Unsplash
Thank you for the conference info, Yvonne. These are indeed uncertain times. Our own Mid-South Christian Writers Conference decided to go virtual again in March for exactly this reason. Just as the Jews say, "Next year in Jerusalem," we keep hoping that next year we'll be able to meet in person.
ReplyDeleteI am not a spokesperson, but I do know that the Ashville Christian Writers Conference is meeting live February 18-20, 2022.
ReplyDeleteEven the apostle Paul experienced closed doors. I hope the conferences planning to meet will be able to.
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