My first SUGI was SUGI 22 in San Diego in 1997. Not only was it my first SUGI, it was my first SAS User Group conference and my first time every presenting a poster / writing a paper, first time on a cross country plane trip (I was terrified but mesmerized by going over the Grand Canyon), and first time in California. I was surprised and delighted that my poster got honorable mention. I've been to many SUGIs, SGFs, RUGs, and LUGs since then - too many to count! Along with SUGI 22, winning best contributed paper awards (along with my co-authors Mike Zdeb, Robert Allison and Christianna Williams) at SUGI 31, SGF 2009 and SGF 2012 was particularly memorable. Probably the most striking memory though is my paper/poster/presentation on publishing in Klingon with SAS. Along with great information and inspiration from every conference I've been to, the opportunity to see new cities (even from the vantage point of a convention center) is great, as is meeting people from all over the world at the conference. I am always humbled when I walk through the doors to a new conference and new opportunities. My children (now parents themselves) call me "such a nerd". I guess it is true!
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