Next month, at least at the end of next month, I’ll be attending the annual National Conference of the Romance Writers of America; on the same trip, I’m attending IASPR’s conference, so I’ll be staying in two different hotels. Which means that I need to make sure I have all of my ducks in a row, because that week of travel will be upon me faster than I think.
Both IASPR and RWA are being held this year in New York City, which for me is quite convenient, since I live in Philadelphia, roughly 100 miles away. No flight cost for me this year! I can travel very cheaply on Bolt Bus or MegaBus, and get free wi-fi in the bargain. They both drop off in midtown, which is about as convenient as it gets. For a larger fee, I can take the train. After that, there’s getting around in the city itself. I’ll have a suitcase filled with a week’s worth of luggage, which is not at all convenient to drag on the subway, so I’m planning to take a cab to and from my hotels. Here’s a useful site for estimating fares.
I’ve already taken care of my registration and hotel reservations for the conferences, paid for events held by my RWA chapter (Passionate Ink) and the Romance Divas, and found a roommate. After travel plans, I’ll need to start organizing my schedule for the conference itself, then start thinking about packing: what clothes will I need for what events? (And which of them pack well?) What promotional materials will I bring aside from business cards, if any?
Sometimes I think I spend as much time preparing for a conference as attending one. But for me, the preparation is a large part of the fun.
