In just a few days, I’ll be attending RootsTech 2025 in person in Salt Lake City!! Now… I’m a little too old to act like my son on this picture, but I surely feel like it! I’ll just need to make an effort to compose myself in public…

The past couple of years, I’ve attended RootsTech online, but this year, I wanted to experience it in person. I’m excited like when I find the marriage record I’ve been looking for, or when I discover that one of my French ancestors funded the church he is buried in! 

While my family and friends are sincerely happy for me about my passion, I can’t say that I raise that much enthusiasm in my surroundings when I get going and can’t stop talking about an exciting discovery I made that day. And I get that. No hurt feelings. I learned a long time ago to recognize the signs when I’ve been talking for too long, and when I lose my audience. You might be familiar with those: the polite nod, the unconvinced “wow… pretty cool”, the quick glance at the clock, the blank look on people’s faces (the same look I probably had in Maths class)…

Let’s be honest. If genealogy is not your thing, I forgive you. I can see why it would be hard to understand why genealogists feel great talking about the deceased, love cemeteries, go to family or friends gatherings with their phone ready to record conversations, have you spell out your last name to make sure they got it right, inquire (with more or less discretion) about your family. Worse: you hear them say: “When I feel down, it picks me up to go back to my computer and my dead people!”

So I can’t wait to feel the energy of being in the same room as other people sharing the same passion! I can’t wait to exchange discoveries, to have conversations, and to see the same joy and enthousiasm on everyone’s face!

I see only one problem with this conference: they have sooooooo many interesting sessions at the same time that I need to have the gift of ubiquity by next Thursday…!

Salt Lake City will be a little tough on the weather side, though. We live in Phoenix, Arizona, and we’ve been having a little heat wave… Yesterday, we had 88ºF (31ºC), and they are announcing 89ºF for today! Looking at the temperatures in Salt Lake City for next week, I need to rethink the clothes I’ll bring. Oh joy!! A real winter!!!

My suitcase is packed! Checklist:

• Laptop
• Phone and laptop chargers
• Nathan Dylan Goodwin’s book “The Missing Man” (“Forensic Genealogist series”)
• Summer dresses Gloves, 6 sweaters, 4 scarves, 20 pairs of winter socks
• Sandals My husband’s boots (size 14) to fit all those socks
• Sunglasses Umbrella (um… we don’t own one…)

So here I come, RootsTech 2025! Be prepared for the crazy French woman!! J’arrive !! À bientôt !!

(This year, RootsTech will be held March 6-8, 2025. Here is their info.)