Three days ago I hopped on a plane to Salt Lake City, which my family has bemusedly taken to referring to as "Genealogy Disneyland." In fairness, they aren't exactly wrong--very little is more attractive to the average, standard-issue genealogist than a chance to deep-dive into the extensive holdings of the nearby Family History Library, to expand our knowledge base by taking valuable courses from the rockstars of our field, or to spend some quality time with people who "speak our language" and who will happily spend hours discussing dead relatives, obscure record sets, the mysteries of DNA, and/or telling genealogy "dad" jokes without ever once rolling their eyes at us for being the giant family history nerds we are (and proud of it!) The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, affectionally referred to as "SLIG," provides ample opportunity for all three.
This may only be my second-ever SLIG, but in many ways it already feels like home. There is nothing quite so joyful as catching up with old friends and meeting new ones; it's like going to Homecoming or having a family reunion, but without the drunk uncle in the corner. I also love hearing the squeals of excitement when a classmate is introduced to that one new resource which will end up bulldozing a life-long brick wall, as well as the genuine pleasure, support, and enthusiasm we all share for each others' discoveries because we all understand the significance of such break-throughs.
Likewise, I find something rather poetic about the majority of attendees having to make long journeys to seek their fortunes here at SLIG--whether in classes or at the Family History Library (FHL)--just as so many of the very ancestors we're hunting also had to make long journeys to seek their fortunes. Meanwhile, I'm taking a course on what amounts to westward expansion (albeit only as far as the Midwest), and I'm pretty sure my trip from New Jersey to Utah likewise counts as pretty westward expansion-y if a bit quicker than my ancestors' journeys. Clearly I was meant to take this course.
Day One is now over and already I've danced with Native Americans, been introduced to exciting new resources, gotten fired up about the future sessions on my course, and scarfed fajitas at the Blue Iguana with an amazing group of people; so far the worst thing I can say about SLIG is that I lost my good Chapstick.
It's been a very full 36 hours, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
As for the rest of the week? BRING. IT. ON.
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