So recently, the rocketgenius team had me down to the head office for a Christmas dinner. I was able to see the offices, meet the rest of the people working for the company and interact with them on a personal level. It was a great trip, and while a bit stressful at time, it was definitely worth going. I’m so happy that they had me down, and I felt so honoured to be there. They pampered me with a nice hotel room, and some amazing meals. I like to say the trick is on them though as I would have slept on someone’s couch and eaten at some sub shop.

One of the coolest things about the trip was getting a demo of all the things coming down the pipe for Gravity Forms. As one of their biggest fans, even still, I was excited and amazed at what they have been working on, and the demonstration probably lasted an hour longer than it would have otherwise, all because I couldn’t keep quiet.

The Christmas dinner was at an amazing restaurant, and while a bit more high class than I am used to, the steak that I had was to die for. Before leaving, I was given a little gift bag with all kinds of rocket themed things.

It has been years since I’ve felt so well taken care of. The last time I felt like I was working for a company that cared was when Bloggy Network was a start-up, back when I first started blogging a decade ago. It was an amazing feeling, and left me reflecting on how lucky I am to be working for such a company, and how much I appreciate what they do for me.

I’m so glad that I got to see Alex, Kevin and Carl again, as well as meet the rest of the team, and their significant others. Kevin’s fiance, Cathy, definitely made the biggest impression on me, and was super welcoming.

On my way back, my plane from Chicago back to Ottawa broke down, and meant that I was stuck in the Chicago airport for four hours longer than I had expected, but otherwise, it was pretty uneventful getting to and from Virginia, other than customs.

So, a funny story for all those that have read this far. As you may know, I am currently without a home of my own, and so when I went through security, they asked me where I live. I told them that I didn’t have an address because I was staying with various family members until after Christmas. The security officer looked at me oddly, and asked me to fill in my last address. Then, I was asked where I was staying in Virginia. I shrugged my shoulders as Kevin had organized the hotel, and I hadn’t thought to ask for the reservation details.

The officer looked at me with a quizzical look and said “Do you want to go to the US today?” I quickly e-mailed nearly everyone in the company and Kevin soon sent me the details I needed to get through security, and I was on my way.

It also didn’t hurt that Virginia was warmer than here in Kingston. I am not a huge fan of how cold our winters get.