The sprint is over, and the marathon has begun.

I'm certain that I may never truly sort out what I've just learned at this conference, but I'll try to tell you here what I'm taking away.

It is exciting to learn and be challenged.

I'm pretty good at Photoshop, if you want to know the truth. I'm planning on entering the Guru awards some day. I think I've got a good shot at the finals, in what category I've yet to determine.

I have, in no way, figured out what lies ahead for me professionally. There are so many paths available... it's really intimidating. 

I'm determined to work on my technical skills photographically. It will be a challenge, but a very exciting one. I have specific things I'd like to master, and thankfully the first one or two don't involve additional equipment. 

I bought Painter X. I can't even express here how exciting that was for me. I feel guilty for how excited and indulgent I feel by that purchase. If you aren't familiar with Painter... check it out, I'm sure you can find it at the Corel website. It's basically a natural media painting program. What's so exciting now, is that it works seamlessly with Photoshop, including preserving layers, where it didn't in previous versions.

That doesn't include everything I'm taking away... but it's a start at least.