As you may have heard, today was awesome from the time we woke up.

We’re not normally an agency that toots its own horn- we’ve always chosen to keep the spotlight focused firmly on our clients. But it was incredibly special to be featured in Stuart Elliott’s column in the New York Times for doing what we do- making sure the world knows what wonderful people and products we work with.

And, though we’ve been wildly tweeting and posting and blogging the trip, the recognition and comments we’ve received are a validation of a core VP+C belief: Facebook can’t make up for face-to-face time, and an email is rarely as helpful hearing someone’s voice live. We live fully in this digital time, but at the core, old-fashioned communication is still our secret sauce.

En route from Toledo to Chicago, we peeled off of the highway when we spotted the RV Hall of Fame. Jane had interviewed its historian, Al Hesselbart, for a story, and we were all lucky to meet him and show off Jane’s beautiful design. He’s a fascinating guy, and a walking encyclopedia of all things RV/MH. (We’re really getting down with the road lingo.)

We had a chance in Chicago to see so many old friends, and we want to thank our new friend Julia Chappell of the Merchandise Mart for providing a perfect place for us to park ourselves for a few hours. We felt so at home amongst its many design-focused showrooms, and are grateful for the extremely gracious hospitality. If you’re in Chicago and haven’t seen it yet, check out the CANstruction exhibit in the lobby, it’s a stunning display for a great cause.

We capped off the trip with a giant deep-dish pie at Lou Malnati’s (with salad- always salad).

Now we’re headed to our final destination before we begin the return voyage to New York. See you soon, Des Moines! We can’t wait.