I’m off to Worldcon tomorrow! I’m reading on Friday at 11. Stop in to listen and you may win a fabulous prize, since I’ll have a bunch of the Near+Far pendants with me. Right now I’m doing laundry and figuring out exactly how many pens I need to take with me.
If you’re trying a con for the first time, here’s some necessities:
- Food. I always have some protein bars with me, even though I know I’ll be able to swing past the con suite, the green room, and the SFWA suite and probably find something to nosh on there. Along the same lines, I’ll have a small waterbottle with me, which goes in my carryon so I don’t have to buy expensive airport drinks.
- Speaking of carryons, I’ve learned by now that certain things should go in there: change of clothing, toothbrush, all medications, and anything else that I would severely miss if my checked baggage should turn up missing.
- Layers. While it’ll be hot in San Antonio, conference rooms can be awfully chilly, so I usually have a shawl in my bag. And a fan for times when the AC is broken.
- Big envelope. All receipts get shoved in there for sorting out post-con, along with business cards I collect. In the meantime, I’ve put all my flight/hotel info and the story I’ll be reading from in it.
- Emergency reading. Well, of course.
- Notebook and multiple pens. Margaret Atwood suggests a pencil for airplane travel; I just make sure I’ve got plenty of pens. And the notebook has my name and contact info written in BIG LETTERS in case it goes astray and someone finds it.
- Small purse that holds just my cell phone and room key, for evenings when I want to go to parties and not worry about toting my usual bag.
- Business cards and some postcards advertising my classes.
- A first aid kit that includes aspirin, decongestant, antacids, etc.
- Charging cables! For both phone and the ipad which, with a wireless keyboard, serves all my laptop needs.
- Extra book bag that rolls up. Just in case.
- Ear plugs and sleep mask. Sleep is precious.
- Moisturizer. Because hotels are always way too dry.
- Comfortable shoes. Life’s too short not to wear comfortable shoes.
