How does a dream begin?

     Someone once told me if you can dream it, it can happen.  Thus began my journey to the ISTE conference in San Antonio, Texas.     The dream began the day I picked up my daughter at the airport. She was returning after attending the National Science Conference.  She was so alive and had so much to share about what she had learned.  I remembered feeling the same way.  It was then the dream began to form.     I wanted to feel that excitement again.  I needed to go to a technology conference!  So I began the search which would lead me to a conference on technology integration in San Antonio, Texas.    Well, I found the conference but this was still a dream. So many factors to consider was this even close to a reality?   With the economy being in the state it is, I knew there would be no money available for travel expenses from my school or the county.  I would need to get there on my own and pay for my own expenses.  My hope would be my school would pay for my registration.     My next step was to talk with my husband, Jeff.   I approached Jeff with the idea of an adventure.  Our anniversary is June 25^th and the conference begins June 22 – June 26^th.  My idea was a road trip for our anniversary to San Antonio.  I would go to the conference during the day and he would go sightseeing.  In the evening, we would go  and see some of the area.  To my delight, Jeff was interested.  He knew I really wanted to continue learning and keeping up with technology. Jeff was on board.  Right away he got in touch with friend, Ron, who gave him names of places with great barbecue.     My next step was to meet with my principal.  I gave her my reasons for wanting to attend the conference and how I could use what I learned in my classroom and with our staff. She was supportive, but not sure there was money.  I was honest and said I could not afford to go if they could not pay my registration.  The early bird registration had passed so you had to pay the regular amount. So the dream was put on hold.  I could not book a room or make any plans so the waiting began.     I waited and waited, but heard nothing.  I was feeling this was just a dream.     It would be the last day of post-planning when the new bookkeeper would introduce herself and tell me to come to her office to register for the ISTE 2013 Conference.  Wow!  I was blown away.  The dream was becoming a reality.  My next step was to text, Jeff, and let him know the trip was on!     The last few weeks have been finding a reasonable hotel (HotWire.com), planning my sessions, planning the two day trip (AAA.com) going and coming back a different way, researching the area, and just beginning to get things together for the trip.  We leave Thursday for Auburn to spend the night with my youngest daughter and her family. (cuts two hours off the trip)  We leave Friday and plan to drive to Lafayette, Louisiana.  The next day we will make it to San Antonio.  We hope to get there in time to register and pick up my Microsoft “Surface”.  Microsoft is giving everyone who is registered one.  I am so excited!