This past week I took my first business trip. It was really awesome. It was in California (my first time there), the weather was incredibly nice in comparison to where I live, and I met some fantastic people.
The first stop on the trip was Pasadena, where I attended Children’s Institute – a conference of/for American children’s booksellers. Everyone comes together to meet, and to talk about what’s working for them in their stores and what isn’t, to talk about the industry, and to also talk with publishers about their books. It was a very informative experience (and the people were very nice).
During this time, I also got to spend the morning in Santa Monica where I walked along the pier, and along the beach. It was completely beautiful – perfect weather, great experience.
I also got to spend some time at the Huntington Library in Pasadena. It’s a huge estate that has rare manuscripts, artwork, flowers, etc. It’s completely stunning and gorgeous. You could easily spend a day there just walking around the grounds and seeing the different gardens and collections. Definitely a highlight of the trip. (Second picture an image of the Gutenberg Bible – one of 48 copies left in existence)
The second stop was Berkeley where my company’s sales conference was. I got to meet with a good chunk of the reps that I email daily – it was nice to be able to put a face to the email – and I got to tell them about my company’s new books for next season, which was pretty exciting.
During this time I also got to drive to some independent bookstores in the area and check them out. They were so gorgeous. I could have spent WAY more time in them. How awesome is life when I get to hang out in bookstores for an afternoon?
Things only turned slightly rocky on the flight home when I was delayed for 8 hours in San Francisco. I have never been delayed on a flight before, and I have to say I am not a fan. The saving crazy was the company I had, the free wifi, and a loaded up Kobo with some good books.
Thus, I got home a little later than expected, but with some great stories to tell, and a very cool new experience under my belt.
Best part of it all? I get to go back again 🙂
You Have Reached Cait 