In this essay, John F. Ebersole describes how, during his tours of the higher education conference circuit throughout the spring of 2013, as both a participant and observer, he came away with a good sense of the issues occupying the attention of American higher education during this period. Ebersole shares ten of the most common themes and concerns that currently affect or have the potential to affect the educational landscape, and notes that MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) dominated discussions related to technology, access, and cost. Ebersole also observed that American education is in the process of being transformed. Economic, political, technological, societal, and demographic pressures are forcing change as never before seen. The author concludes that while it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the current dynamics, there are reasons for optimism as attendees in the thousands that included colleagues, peers, suppliers, regulators, and informed observers tended to share a concern for the system of higher education and a commitment to maintain its position as one of the best in the world.