2 days of OAH down and 2 to go. I am exhausted but I've taken away so much more than I even hoped.

So far this I've been to panels on:
Ways to teach history.
The history of conservatism (and I now know I hate the term anti feminist and want something more appropriate)
Religion and Politics in the late 18th/early 19th century- no really, it was in the book, I am not making it up!!
Public History and Community Engagement- I have 5 pages of notes from this one, obviously I took a lot away from it. As I said at the reception later that night "I feel armed with the tools I need to get more from the University than they want to give me in terms of fellowship money for undergrads" 
Desegregation and  conservatism, I didn't pick this, I went to this instead of a public history round table because small group discussions aren't my thing some days. I thought I would hate it but it was actually really good.

Just like AHA, every time I turn around there is someone else impressive behind me. The first day I turned around in a book booth and there is Peter Hoffer lecturing the sales rep about book prices, when I went over to another booth only to find out his newest book is essentially what I wanted to write my senior thesis on, he told me I should go on amazon and buy it cheaper- then argued with the rep.

I'm still upset about the fact that every idea I've had for the research I want to do seemed to have just come out in book form in the past 2 days. I keep telling myself that It isn't a bad thing. It means that I am on the right track, my ideas are good, I am thinking like people who are getting published. Except they are getting published and I am plodding along trying to get through this undergrad degree with out going crazy. I'll get there, someday.

As for right now, I am going to go try and go back to sleep for an hour, I've got a day full of panels. As tired as I am, I am so grateful that I get to do this.