Games I'm most hoping to play at Essen

Alright.... this is probably the last of the boring planning posts. Here are some of the games I'm most hoping to play or at least see at Essen:

• Starcraft
  

• Dust

• WoW: Burning Crusade

• Galaxy Trucker

• Race for the Galaxy

• 1960

• Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage (new edition)

• War of the Ring: Collector's Edition prototype

• Cuba

• Brass

• Antler Island

• TTR: Switzerland

Now my key task while on the airplane is to plot out an optimal path between the various booths so as to gain as many holy grail Con exclusives as quickly as possible so I can then just kick back and play games!

Essen Wish List

Here is what I'm most hoping to snag at Essen, not yet in priority order:

• Zooloretto exclusive expansion tile

• Cash 'N Guns with black pistols

• Cash 'N Guns: Yakuzas with back weapons and bonus Uzi

• Duel in the Dark JU-88, Expert Flak, and other mini expansions

• Tannhauser expansion figures if available

• Heroscape Master Win Chu Figure if available

• Mr. Jack limited edition expansion

• Bohnanza limited edition fan-art edition

• A few issues of Spiel Box, including the ones for Zooloretto and Mr. Jack

• Galaxy Trucker.... if I have room. I'm going to ask Rio Grande if this is coming to the USA any time soon. If it is, I'll wait.
  

Packing

Packing is about 99% complete. I fly tomorrow from San Antonio to Manchester, UK, where I'll spend the night before proceeding on to Germany the next morning. This first leg the trip is being covered by my employer, so after the Con, I'll need to return to the UK for a few days to do some actual work.

There's not anything exciting to report just yet, so here's a mundane list of key things I'm bringing on the trip:

• Lots of workout clothes. I'm training for a marathon which will happen in about a month, so I need to run about 35 miles/week right now, including a 20 miler I'll do in the UK next Saturday. Hopefully I don't get creamed by a truck full of sheep!

• Digital camera. So my pals can check out the spectacle and the games.

• Board game rulebooks. The flight is a perfect opportunity to catch up on studying rulebooks. This trip I'm bringing Lock 'N Load, Federation Commander, and Paths of Glory.

• Novel. Right now I'm re-reading Dune. I really do need to take more time to read for pleasure when I'm not traveling.
  

• Cliff Bars. You never know when your next meal will be at a Con.
  

• Train schedules, trip itineraries, hotel confirmations, maps.... hopefully I've got it all straight. This is a true adventure!

• Blackberry. The question now is whether I bring a laptop.... The extra bulk and weight may mean the difference between one extra board game buy in Essen... I'm probably not going to bring it. Plus, I think Internet cafe's are a bit more plentiful in Europe than here.
  

• 10 days worth of clothes. Yep, I'm literally doing "Ten Days in Europe," so unfortunately clothes are taking up the full capacity of one of my two bags. Argh!