After a quick trip to Affiliate Summit East 2011, I’m finally home.
No, don’t get me wrong; I utterly enjoyed my 26 hour s in New York City — most of which I’ve spent at the conference itself (pictures and separate blog post coming up by the end of this week) — but, unlike it normally is with post-conference trips home, the 7 hours back on the train (which were supposed to be 5 hours) seemed at least twice as long. The train was packed. Everyone was rushing down South (comment: I was traveling back home on a Boston – Richmond Amtrack train)…
Rewinding it a little bit back: as I was leaving the conference on early Tuesday afternoon, Jill Swartwout (from Baltimore) grabbed my by the sleeve asking — with a bit of a discomposed tone in her voice — “Where do you live?” Her question puzzled me for a moment, as she knew very well that I reside in Northern Virginia… But she needed to know the exact city. “They are reporting a magnitude 5.8 earthquake in Northern Virginia. Call your wife!” I almost felt my heart stop for a second… Magnitude of 5.8-6 means a pretty powerful earthquake. I lived through several of those while growing up in Moldova, and saw houses crack and trees fall.
Fast-forwarding it a bit: my wife and daughter were perfectly okay. Feeling the first signs of the quake they rushed outside barefoot — to watch our house shake before their eyes. The house was okay too… But this situation has once again put things in perspective for me, underscoring with one fat line what really matters… Hug your loved ones tonight. 
Call parents, if you haven’t done so in a while. If you’re lucky to still have grandparents, give them your love too. Find time to play with your children, and teach them something good in the process… Take care of yourself and your family. Because if you don’t, maybe no one else will.
Know the feeling we have had over 4029 earthquakes in the last year. Several were large and killers. Lots of people here have a txt round up after a large quake. Although it can be stressful when someone doesn’t reply and you know they are in an area that has been severly damaged. People here have become very accepting and willing to help others who are not coping as well. So I hope that you don’t have to endure what we and Japanese have had to deal with. All the best from Christchurch the city that shakes, rattles and rolls. But we did survive the most powerful earthquake ever to hit a city.
Glad to know that everybody was ok.
So, you grow up in Moldova? Where you also born there?
Yes, Daniel. I was born in Chişinău, Moldova. Lived there for the first ~20 years of my life.
Do you also speak romanian? Just curious 🙂
A little. I’m 1/8th Romanian.
Funny, Geno, that you and your “early blogging goals” came up in conversation today. I did a search for our surname and found this article. I remember the event quite well. I also very much agree with your summary – about family and loved ones. I’m thinking where you live now is slightly less likely to have earthquakes than Northern Virginia.
Take care,
– Bill
Bill, great to hear from you, my friend! Yes, that event surely shook us: both literally and figuratively speaking… Hope all is well with you and yours!
We are well, Geno. Thank you. I trust your and your family are, too.