Lifelong learning; reading; and Internet friends

If you’re anything like me, you found school to be exciting and rewarding, and you sometimes miss having the opportunity to learn new things in a class setting.

Anybody?

Well, lucky for me, and for folks just like me, most cities have a recreation program that offers classes in a variety of areas, allowing us lifelong learners to never want for a unique and interesting educational experience.

Dave and I took our Crash Course in Dance last year through Milwaukee Recreation, which offers a slew of classes and programs throughout the year.

Last week, upon invitation from blog friend and regular commenter, Farrah, I took a class called “Publish Your Passion” with her at Greenfield City Hall.

Greenfield is one of Milwaukee’s many suburbs, and its parks and recreation department offers a wealth of classes, from cooking, swimming, and youth sports to dance, computers, and feng shui.

“Publish Your Passion” was held in a small classroom on the second floor of the city hall from 6:30 until 8:00 p.m. Thursday night and was taught by local author, DeAnna Radaj, who recently self-published her book, Designing the Life of Your Dreams From the Outside In.

Farrah and I were two of six people who attended the interactive class and DeAnna went over such topics as writing what you know, how to write a query letter, the do’s and don’t’s of publishing, and how to market your work once you’ve written it.

I’d taken a similar class during my last semester of college, and I was looking forward to the refresher lesson. I didn’t find the class overly challenging or enlightening, but that was just because, as I said, I’d learned it all before, plus I work in PR so I know about marketing. However, I believe the class must have been incredibly informative for those who were just starting out, and the instructor was very friendly and passionate about what she was talking about.

While the class didn’t rock my world, I did get to meet another Internet friend, which I always enjoy doing! Plus I thought it’d be a great opportunity to pass along the information about Greenfield’s offerings and to encourage people to check out their own city’s programs. With the wide range of classes that are offered, everyone is bound to find something that they’re interested in.

And while we’re on the topic of Internet friends, I must mention something that I’m really, extremely, super excited about.

Krista, author of Conversation With Myself, is a fellow writer, marathoner and bride-to-be (well, I WAS a bride-to-be) and has been a faithful blog reader for some time now. In turn, I’ve become a faithful reader of her blog, and of her articles in the Oshkosh Northwestern. Mutual blog reading and regular commenting led us to a Facebook and email friendship. And, well, now we’re pretty much Internet BFFs.

In two weeks, we shall officially meet.

I don’t know how many of you regularly check in on my reading list, but I’ve been burning through Jodi Picoult's novels since I first saw on Krista’s blog that she was a big Jodi fan. I read My Sister’s Keeper and I was hooked, and I’m currently reading my third Picoult novel, with the fourth and fifth on deck.

Ms. Picoult just happens to be doing a reading and book signing at Alverno College next month where she will be debuting her newest novel, Nineteen Minutes. Seeing this as the perfect opportunity to meet my online BFF, I invited Krista. We’ve got the tickets and we’re in the process of making dinner plans for before or after the reading, most likely for sushi at Sake Tumi.

We’re really excited.

Financial guru Suze Orman will also be making an appearance at Alverno next month, on March 9. I would have really liked to have seen Suze, too, but my pocketbook could only stand one or the other, and I chose Jodi. And Krista.

I can’t wait!

Comments

[Krista]

Dearest Internet BFF,

I can't WAIT. Jodi and Other Erin all in one night. I'm glad my love of all things Jodi got you hooked.

[Krista]

OK, also, that Sake Tumi place? YUM. I just checked out the menu.

Sincerely, e-BFF.

[Carmi]

Thanks, Erin, for another inspiring read. I can't wait to hear about your real-life meeting with Krista. How cool is that!

[Farrah]

It was nice to meet you Erin - thanks for coming out to Greenfield! I've lived in Greenfield for nearly 17 years and I consider myself an unofficial goodwill ambassador for the city. I'm a huge supporter of the parks & rec dept. To anyone who has never taken a class thru a rec dept, I think they can best be thought of as introductory in nature. You can find out if you are interested in something without investing a lot of money. Plus, they are great opportunities to have face time with other human beings, something that we lack in the computer age.