A tweet by Matt Cushing got me thinking about something that I figured I should plan for my upcoming PASS Summit trip: what should I pack? And no, I’m not talking about my poll asking you what to wear.
When I arrived at work this morning, temps were somewhere in the forties, and a strong wind was blowing (in fact, I believe there’s a high wind warning in effect), which brought wind chills down even more. I said to myself, I think it’s time to switch over to my heavier jacket. I did a quick check of the weather in Seattle. Although it’s not quite the chilly Arctic winter conditions to which we upstate New Yorkers are accustomed, it still looks like it’ll be cold autumn weather. So at the very least, I’ll bring my heavier jacket and at least one sweatshirt with me to Seattle.
It also got me thinking about all the little things that I need to think about any time I travel, much less go to a big event like PASS Summit. Other than the activities that I have planned for my trip, there are things like how am I getting to the airport (I’m still debating whether to drive myself and take advantage of the $6-a-day economy lot, or make my wife drop me off at 5 am), how well will I be able to navigate the light rail system, how long will it take to get to and from my AirBnB, and so on. Planning for the big things is important, but forgetting something little, such as forgetting to pack your presentation remote (which I’ve done plenty of times before), can be enough to sabotage your trip.
One helpful tip: create a checklist of what you need to bring or do. A checklist ensures that important little things are not overlooked. (I’ve written before about the importance of checklists. I’ve been meaning to talk more about them; I’ll make it a point to revisit it at some point.)
When planning, little things can sometimes make a big difference.
Four days until Seattle!
