2018 Joubert Foundation Board Retreat

This weekend, September 21st to the 23rd, I had the pleasure of attending the Joubert Syndrome & Related Disorders' annual board retreat, this time in Dallas, Texas.

It was my first retreat with the board, and my first business trip period, so it was definitely a big deal for me.

I left with my Dad, who I was super-lucky to have with me, especially in the various airports I needed to traverse, Friday morning. We were originally supposed to leave Ottawa for Toronto at 9 am but got there early and were able to board an 8 o'clock flight. Lucky, since we later learnt that the original flight was delayed.

Fun-ish fact: This weekend I learnt that it takes less time to fly from Ottawa to Toronto than it does to go from my home to work via Para Transpo.

Anyway, got to Toronto with extra time, took several elevators and golf carts to get to US customs (where an agent was very curious about Joubert syndrome and the Board!), got a bite to eat, and left for Dallas. Props to Air Canada for having free Avengers movies as part of their in-flight entertainment selection!

My first impressions if Dallas were that is was greener than I expected, incredibly humid and, at the time, very wet. That said, it was my first time in Texas which was pretty cool. Also, very friendly people!

Our hotel was very nice and, after checking in and saying a quick hello to a couple fellow board members, I took some time to chill in our room.

We met everyone at dinner, then the Board met for a round table which consisted of me bragging about work, listening to cute, funny, and interesting back-to-school stories,  and joining the discussion about what we wanted to accomplish over the weekend. Afterwards, we retired to the hotel lobby for some socializing.

Saturday was the big work day! While my Dad took some time to site-see, I was with the Board discussing many issues, including what everyone accomplished over the year, Joubert-wise and what we'd like to achieve going forward. For my part, everyone liked my ideas for a scholarship to benefit individuals with JS who would like to go onto college, university, work, or other similar programs, as well as a sort of blog/profile project showcasing adults with the syndrome. I also got a couple really nice Joubert-related t-shirts.

Before the day ended we got a group photo.

I also participated my my first live Facebook video showing everyone what the Board does which was very fun to do.

The day ended with dinner, more socializing and, for my part, enjoying some American junk food!

We had breakfast with several board members who were around Sunday morning, said goodbyes, relaxed in the room for a bit longer, and left for a long day of airports and flights home.

Like most things I've done involving the JS community, the retreat was a great experience, made me feel a little more adult-like, and was pretty fun. Now to get to work on all those fun ideas I came up with.

Cheers!