If this was a normal year, I’d be sitting down in the Dog and Pony right around now, ordering a burger and a glass of wine. The first day of the Keystone Conference is generally pretty relaxed for me - I set up my makeup supplies, take care of a few appointments, and catch up with friends from prior years. Instead, I’m in my kitchen, enjoying leftover pasta (still with a glass of wine) with a movie I’ve seen a thousand times on for background noise, and reminiscing about Keystones past.

My first Keystone Conference was in 2011 (I actually had to dive into my email history to confirm when I first attended). I drove down to Harrisburg on a recommendation from John Warrener that I was sure to have a good time. I was still fairly new to attending conferences as a makeup artist, but had been involved in the TG community for about four years. I was generally comfortable at events, but was still a little intimidated walking in only knowing one person. I was pleasantly surprised, however, to recognize more than a dozen people who I already knew and considered friends. As promised, I had a great time, and have returned almost every year since then.