On the train from Kingston to Ottawa seems like as good a place as any to make a final entry about attending the 2012 National Campus/Community Radio Conference. Last night, someone asked me what I liked best about the week and I had to give it a lot of thought before answering. There were really cool workshops, interesting discussions around regulatory rulings, copyright collectives and tariffs, and how best to approach censorship, advertising, sponsorship, etc. But I think what was most inspiring was simply the sense of community. Here is a group of people from all different walks of life, from small towns and big cities, with diverse backgrounds, experience, etc, and yet we could all sit around playing cards and chatting about issues big and small. Even when there was tension surrounding one issue or another, the general vibe all week was positive and welcoming. As a newcomer, I felt comfortable and welcome in every situation. That sense of community and support for doing what we're doing is awesome. Just knowing that there are hundreds of stations and thousands of individuals doing what we're doing is not only reassuring, it's inspiring. I feel like I could call up any one of the people I met here anytime to ask a question, share an idea, or just say what's up. And that is very cool.

I'm coming back with ideas--both creative and organizational--but maybe more importantly I'm coming back inspired to take what we're doing to new heights. The consensus of everyone I talked to is that CICK is doing amazingly well for its age and I'm confident that we can only go further, bigger and better.