Depending on what time you’re reading this on Sunday, April 27, I’ll either still be at Malice Domestic in Bethesda, Maryland, or I’ll be on my way home. The Agathas will have been awarded. Not to me, since I’m not nominated this year, but perhaps to one of our other fabulous Writers Who Kill. I don’t know, because as I’m writing this, none of it has happened yet. I’m still in the process of packing and preparing.
I’m not doing a lot of traveling this year for a number of reasons, but I have two conferences fairly close together. First is Malice, then next month will be the Pennwriters Conference. No matter how many trips I’ve taken in past years, the first one after a long layoff is always a challenge.
It’s like I’ve never packed for three nights before! What will I forget? Will I have to stop on the way or leave the hotel to find a store to purchase some necessary item?
So I’m making a list. Checking it twice. Three times? Four? And it’s not simply the stuff I need to take with me. Shoes. Pajamas. Coordinated outfits proper for a business convention. Toothbrush. Makeup. Books that the bookseller couldn’t get and I have to place on consignment. My computer. And—oh, my gosh, don’t forget—the charger cords!
No, there are also the things I need to prepare for my husband and cat in order for them to survive while I’m gone. Groceries that don’t take too much preparation. A daily lineup of the pills my husband takes. And a sufficient supply of the pills he has to give Kensi.
Speaking of, there needs to be a list of instructions of what to feed her when. What time she gets said pills. Emergency numbers…
Okay, maybe my cat isn’t the only one who suffers separation anxiety. I mean, just because I demand a daily proof-of-life photo of Kensi while I’m away doesn’t mean anything. Right?
Oh, and the shoes I mentioned earlier? I bought two new pairs. You’d think I’d know better by now. Break shoes in before wearing them at a conference. But no. My old shoes are scuffed beyond reason. They’ve been delegated to grocery shopping trips. I have been teetering around the house wearing my yoga pants and my new heels, trying to determine if they’re comfortable enough for the long walk from the hotel to the conference center (under the same roof, but still a long hike). I think I’ll stuff a pair of comfy flats in a tote bag to carry with me to the banquet and switch right before I enter the ballroom.
Although this trip will be all but
over by the time you read this, I do have that second one coming up. I’d love
to hear your advice for packing and for dealing with the family and pets left
behind.
I try to color coordinate... If I'm using black pants, black shirt, and multiple colored jackets, it is fairly easily to get away with packing less (maybe wearing a pair of pants more than once); but, the reality is I always find one more thing I might need to take with me.
ReplyDeleteSpreadsheets. I migrate twice a year and have learned that keeping a spreadsheet will all the things that must be done saves me oodles of time. A couple of weeks before I leave, I update the list for any one-time tasks I must do, or any changes in things I will or will not take. Then it's simply ticking them off the list and not worrying about what I forgot.
ReplyDeleteI keep a checkout file card in my toiletry bag listing everything, including my nightie hanging on the back of the bathroom door and backup identification, cash, and credit card in the hotel safe.
ReplyDeleteHugs, Annette! It’s never easy with the pets. As for packing, I'm a huge fail and end up supporting local businesses wherever I go.
ReplyDeleteHope you had a great time!
ReplyDeleteAh. Malice Domestic is over the the year!
ReplyDeleteYou probably never need to sweat the charging cords. Most places, if you go to the registration desk & sheepishly admit you forgot yours, they usually pull out a big box of every charger known to humankind that someone has left behind. And they are happy to lend them out.
I just made it home and still don't know if I brought everything home with me, but at least I did a good job of packing for the weekend.
ReplyDelete