No, not the one in Russia. This picture is at O’Hare International, where my flight was delayed thanks to the snow. Thankfully it was only a 20-minute delay, not hours long, as it seems to be a common occurrence for layover flights in Chicago.

I was in St. Petersburg to be a part of Camp AAJA at the famed Poynter Institute. It didn’t involve marshmallows, but sure did include lots of role-playing, laughing and cheering. It’s always nice to meet journalists from all over the country. And unlike the Voices projects that I’ve done in the past (the convention internship projects), we all can talk about what its like to be in a newsroom now (rather than how to get in a newsroom during the Voices project) — the pitfalls, the work, oh, and chapter drama. Dun dun dun! But one of the key phrases that came out of the weekend, besides “hot mess” and “love comes in all colors,” was “What happens at Camp AAJA, stays at Camp AAJA.” BTW, is there a better name for leadership development, fund raising and chapter problem solving than Camp AAJA? Give me suggestions and I’ll pass them on.

Photo by VINO WONG/ STAFF

Technically, I was not even supposed to be a part of this year’s Camp AAJA, since I filled in last minute for a coworker. So let’s call this serendipity.

To see the rest of my goofy photos, go to the Flickr photo stream. BTW, does anyone want to gift me a pro account? My birthday’s coming up…. ;-)