Last Draft Pick for a Trip to Rio

Last week when my boss asked if I wanted to go to a conference in Brazil – in Rio de Janeiro – in late May, I was surprised because I had already heard that one of my colleagues was going. But, heck, of course I said YES. Who in their right mind would turn down a chance to go to Rio? To attend a conference with directors of statistical agencies from Latin America, France, Spain, and important people from the UN?

As it turns out, everyone who had been mentioned to attend this conference with our agency director now had compelling reasons to be here (not the least of which that it happens to be over a holiday weekend), so I was the default attendee.

No sooner than I had agreed to go, than there was this mention of a paper that I needed to give at the conference. When I asked my boss who was writing the paper, she replied that D or F would write it. D’s response to me was, "If you are going, you are writing it!...I could give you some ideas." YIKES! It’s now 26 days until I have to give this paper and so far it doesn’t even have a title. Not only do I have to write something, but I also have to come up with a PowerPoint presentation in both English and Spanish. That’s a lot to pack into the next few weeks.

Since I am going with the director, I can’t afford to screw this up. I do have some ideas, but I also have to wonder if part of the reason that others backed out was the requirement to produce a paper? This is one of the larger challenges I have had to face in my professional life. I would love to be able to fast-forward to May 28 and see just what it is that I actually come up with.

I have memories of being in Rio 25 years ago with my boss over Carnival. What a WILD and WACKY place it was!

Have you ever been to Rio? Do you have any good suggestions for things to do when I am not being "official"?