I recently attended the Walk to Washington for the first time, and if you have never been; I would highly recommend going! It was such a wonderful experience in many different ways. When I was first invited, I honestly didn’t know much about the event and had no idea what to expect; but I was anxious to find out more. As a Senior Tax Accountant in public accounting, I spend most of my time in the office, especially this time of year; so any chance to get out of the office is refreshing.
I began my Walk to Washington journey at the Amtrak station in New Brunswick, NJ; but there were already countless passengers on the train when I boarded and many more to follow at the various stops before Washington. I was absolutely amazed at the atmosphere on the train! Throngs of people ranging from politicians to accountants and reporters were constantly shuffling up and down the aisle, shaking hands, exchanging pleasantries, and swapping business cards. It was such a unique way of networking, because it was a very relaxed environment and a stark contrast from the more rigid business events I was accustomed to.
The excitement certainly didn’t end on the train by any means! Once we arrived in Washington there were a variety of welcome receptions before the formal engagement that evening that offered an array of hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. I also had the pleasure of dining with the members of the NJ Society of CPAs that attended the event. It was my firm’s association with the NJSCPA that enabled me to attend the event, and it was such a pleasure making important new contacts for future events and opportunities.
One of the most memorable highlights from the trip in my opinion was getting to see New Jersey Governor Chris Christie give a speech at the dinner that evening. It was the first time I had ever heard him speak in person, and his speech about the effects of Hurricane Sandy on the people and communities of NJ had a profound impact on me. It was uplifting to hear the amazing stories of the heroes that helped save lives during the disaster and the way communities have come together after the storm to help rebuild New Jersey.
The Walk to Washington was a wonderful experience and a great opportunity to meet new influential business contacts. I can’t thank the NJSCPA enough for inviting me to attend the event and the members for showing me a fabulous time while I was there. I look forward to the opportunity to participate in many more NJ Society events in the future.