The first week of June 2025 set out to be special. After a successful first edition in Sweden in 2023, the Netherlands was now to uphold the importance of hosting such an event. On June first, I set out to a little Dutch town called Lunteren, where I booked a lovely little cabin during my time at the conference. On Monday, June 2, I walked through the doors of conference center De Wereld in Lunteren. I was greeted with a goody bag and a badge with my name. I bought the tickets in the fall of 2024 and did not know what organization to put on the badge, so I settled on my university. I had already graduated, but I was also not part of a research facility or government position. I was at the conference out of my own curiosity and desire to keep working with big carnivores. Even though I felt intimidated by all those accomplished ecologists, scientists, and PhD students, I was excited to start connecting with new people.