In November of 1998, Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory in Palo Alto, California hosted a different workshop on AR8277 with the emphasis on the 3D structure of this active region, completely ignoring the dynamical behavior. Thus, the Paris workshop would provide a complementary study of AR8277 and would fill in the gaps left by the California workshop.

My first role in Orsay Ville was to summarize the findings of the 3-D structure workshop. To do this I prepared a digital movie and a bunch of slides together making up a thirty minute talk. My second role was as a group leader of one of the workshop groups. This typically involves a lot of advanced preparation but because of my commitments at Lockheed Martin I was unable to do much prior to heading to France. I was going to have to wing it.

The workshop itself was from March 10-12 but because of the 11 hour flight time and the 9 hour time difference from California, I had to leave on Monday the 8th and return Sunday 14th, almost a whole week. The hardest part of the whole trip was saying goodbye to my wife, Wendy, and my 3 ½ month old baby boy. This was the first time I had been away from home since wee David was born.