Day 3…wait, is it really already the third day of NGS??? How did that happen? I think time sped up while I was having fun and learning new things!
Day 3 started with some coffee and deep diving into research logs, Civil War pension files and passport applications. The morning sessions were:
- Using Research Logs and Creating Client Reports That Include DNA Results by Angie Bush
- Anatomy of a Civil War Pension File by Julie Miller
- U.S. Passport Applications by Debra Mieszala
I cannot say enough good things about each of these presentations. Both Angie Bush’s presentation and Julie Miller’s presentation stepped into the organization methods and best practices they used in their research. I absolutely love it when people show how they use different tools and how they organize because it really helps fuel the imagination for me on how I can use their tried-and-true processes to make my own better. I can’t count the number of times someone has told me that organization is a very personal process and you have to figure out what works best for you. But collaborating and sharing really helps one create or refine their own processes. Sharing is caring! 🙂
I was excited to see that the GeneaBloggers Tribe group was going to have a quick meet up around lunchtime for a photo op so I took that opportunity to meet some of the Tribe and it was so much fun to be able to put faces with names! The afternoon exhibit hall visit included a quick stop at the Genlighten booth to take advantage of their offer of a free head shot (an opportunity that is very much appreciated!), a bit of time spent at the FindMyPast booth to converse about Scottish newspapers, and then time to make my big purchases of the conference. I opted to go ahead and purchase a DNA test from Living DNA as well as from MyHeritage since they were having such great show specials. I can’t wait to compare my results from Living DNA and MyHeritage to my results from Ancestry, Family Tree DNA and 23andMe (when I finally manage to get that one done!)
Then it was time to dash off to the afternoon sessions:
- Save the Last Dance for Me: Discovering the Social Lives of Our Ancestors by Mary Tedesco
- Native, First Nations, Indian: Researching Indigenous Peoples by Judy Nimer Muhn
Mary Tedesco’s session was fun and Judy Nimer Muhn’s session was fantastic. Her list of resources was well worth going to the session for, but she also imparted some cultural awareness lessons. She spoke about the origins of some not-so-nice words, appropriate references for tribal groups, and helped to dispel some of myths about Native American “royalty” that seem to be ever-present.
The NGS banquet was held this evening, unfortunately I missed the deadline to register for it, so instead of attending the banquet I attended the meet up for The NextGen Genealogy Network. It was tons of fun and I’m glad I opted to attend the meet up.
So tomorrow is Day 4…the last day. I’m sad that the conference is ending but I’m excited to go home and start working with the skills and resources I’ve been learning this week!
