Delegates scare the hell out of me

For me, describing what it's like to be consistently surrounded by 350 journalists is like being a little grey dormouse surrounded by huge, yet friendly, cats. They are warm, knowledgable, charismatic, learned, experienced and seasoned. And due to these reasons scare the hell out of me! How could I compare?

I didn't know what to expect during my time at this ADM, or how I would be recieved by the people I met. These people who will no doubt read my writing and rip it to pieces - and that's a scary thought. But isn't that the best way to learn?

Despite the fear factor I've found the past two days inspiring, even after sitting through hours of motions. I have found it refreshingly easy to get into conversation with 'real' journalists, even for several hours at a time.

But one thing that was painfully obvious within seconds of arriving; they do fit with a certain part of their stereotype - alcohol and cigarettes. Which is probably why my fellow students and I fit in so well!