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!