Last week was another first for me as the assistant editor here at FXExpress Publications, Inc. All present members of the company made the trek down to Philadelphia for the annual advisory board reception.

The weather forecast was bleak from the start. All morning rain threatened, and precipitation fell in brief showers. When it was time to get dressed and drive to the city, things only got worse. Rain poured down, and even getting out to the car to retrieve my change of clothes was a production.

© Erik Lattwein | Dreamstime.com

Andrew Risch and I carpooled to the city. Traffic and torrential downpours made a 45-minute ride take more than an hour. By the time we got to the Union League on Broad Street, it was after 6 p.m. We made our way to the reception and began mingling.

Throughout the reception, it was great to meet and chat with members of the advisory board. Before the group left for dinner, Union League staff brought out a cake as the entire assembly sang “Happy Birthday” to Carly Allen, Kim Krol and me due to the close proximity of our birthdays to the reception.

For dinner, the whole group trekked to Davio’s on South 17th Street. As a northern Italian steakhouse, there were not a ton of options for me (I follow a vegan diet), but I settled on an excellent spaghettini dish. The service was incredible, and our server went out of his way to remember my diet while going over the menu with me.

After an excellent dinner filled with great food and conversation, the crowd dispersed. Andrew, Yasser Ogando and I drove home in one car, where we deliberated upon the rap feud between Eminem and Machine Gun Kelly.

To top the already long day off, I got caught behind a freight train after dropping off my passengers. It was a long day, but it was a great experience.

— Erich Martin, assistant editor