We recently hopped on a plane to the Dominican Republic for the What If conference in Punta Cana. The conference itself is kind of hard to describe, but it’s kind of like a creative community; not focused on “networking” in the happy hour meets polyester kind of way, but in a barefoot talking about everything but your work at 3am kind of way. We’re still trying to figure out what we got out of it, other than leaving with a comforting feeling of being lost. Aussie friends, you have a chance to go to one in 2013, around July/August – Date/location TBD. Everyone else, maybe sign-up either for the Australian rendition, or the wait-list for 2014.
Here are a few images from some of our time spent away from the resort, which was our favorite environment to be in. Can’t help but feel guilty of the all-you-can-consume mentality from the resorts there, especially when it doesn’t reflect the culture outside marble walls. But the people at What If make being anywhere, 1 to 5 star joints, worth it. Maybe next time we will all be hanging out making PB&J, curling up in sleeping bags, and plotting to change the world around a campfire; should all go well. ; ) Can’t believe our friends have sold-out the 2014 conference, with no date, location, or speakers. Maybe see if you can get on the waiting list, as we’re signed up, celebrated with them remotely, and would be great to share some time together.
If you go, it’s best you have no pre-conceived ideas about what might be, or what you think it’ll be based on other workshops or conferences you’ve been to. The first time we went to a What If, we signed up 4 hours before it started, Joel was in still in his PJ’s, and we rode our bikes to it. At the end, we wound up speaking and telling 50 people our biggest mistakes; on a cleanse the whole week excluding booze, caffeine, and dairy, with no sleep the night before. (Maybe we were delusional?) This is something powerful that can’t be given justice via blog form. It’s something you have to eat ramen to make work to attend, something you leave your camera at home to experience, and openness to be uncomfortable (read “ugly cry”) amongst several new strangers that will become friends. Leave your business cards at home, or maybe even shred them as you’ll want to change them when you come back.
It’s something bigger than yourself, and so good to see growing against the grain in an ego-ccentric industry.
p.s. Our freckles definitely multiply in the sun #300dpi, and we’re really bad at surfing, but will continue to try. Also, images of the kids we got to visit while we were there, to follow shortly.
p.s.s. 10 years ago, today, Joel pulled over on the side of the road and asked me to marry him. (At 1:37 exactly, for all you Empire Records fans out there.) Maybe it’s not about waiting for the romantic tale to happen; maybe pulling over where you are, and acting on impulse, is the good story you’re supposed to live. I feel like we’re eternally pulling each other over and asking questions. Most of these images, were taken while driving around.
Logistics: We stayed at Apartments Mare Mare in Bavaro, near Punta Cana. (Really great for about $50-60/night, includes shared living room/kitchen where we bought a stack of cheese, loaf of bread, and made grilled cheese for days.) The best beach was when we rented a car for a day and drove about an hour to Macao Beach. Bring snacks, skip the chairs, rent a surfboard for $20 for the afternoon and bring sunscreen.
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