Washington DC - Round 1

I headed out to Washington DC with the rest of my IREM team the second week of April and I was very much looking forward to the trip (hey, four full days of training is right up my alley!).  It was even better knowing that Mark and Milo were coming to join me at the end of the seminar.  We arrived on Saturday.  I made great use of the few hours of down time I had before everything kicked into high gear...  It is amazing how beautiful the sound of silence can be!



Sunday brought with it the beginning of the Leadership and Legislative Conference.  It is always fun to listen to the leaders in our industry talk about trends and the future of Property Management.

Oh, you know...  we have plenty of fun along the way too!  Susan (bottom right) has now joined us on the Board so she got to come this year.  We have lots of history and I will always be grateful that she gave me my first job as a Property Manager.

Our fearless leader, Claudia.  Such a great person!  I have so enjoyed getting to know her better these last few years.

My Granite (Houston) peeps, Mary and Gary.  Yep, more fun!

By Monday all the cherry blossoms were in full bloom.  We were so lucky to see them!  Definitely a bucket list item.  They were truly breathtaking and cool factoid - the trees were a gift from the Japanese government and there are now over 4000 cherry blossom trees, with 3 different varieties, throughout the city. 

The main reason for the conference is to prepare for the day of lobbying on Capital Hill.  Just like last year, I was struck by the power of our political system.  I am not sure it is possible to look at this and feel anything but awe.