I try to travel light! |
As I prepare for my trip to the UK to attend THE Genealogy Show 2019 I need to think about packing. Prior to THE Show Mr GeniAus and I are doing a Garden Tour, visiting some UK archives and graves of the ancestors and catching up with a cousin. I anticipate being exhausted after THE Show so we'll be boarding one of our favourite cruise ships for some R&R.
My cases are open on the floor of a spare room and the bed is littered with clothing, medications and other essentials!
My cases are open on the floor of a spare room and the bed is littered with clothing, medications and other essentials!
This is what I must remember:
- Airport transfer - After a 23 hour flight we want our transfer to the hotel to be stress free.
- Books - I'll take a couple of unread books that I can swap on our cruise ship once read. Will also download a few eBooks from the local library onto my phone.
- Purchase breakfast bars, liquid breakfasts and healthy snacks for quick meals - packed.
- Deliver Paddy to his second home where he loves playing with his mate Freddo.
- Empty the Frig and Pantry - In Progress - they already resemble Mother Hubbard's Cupboard.
- Flights - Booked, Seats are allocated so no need to book in online.
- Foreign Currency - Task delegated to Mr GeniAus. Have GBP and Euros.
- Hotel Accommodation - All booked.
- Luggage - Two small suitcases are easier than one large one for an old girl to manage, I take one small carryon for the plane basically because I can't pack batteries and laptop in luggage for the hold. I can't understand why so many people carry such large bags on board - they must pack the kitchen sink. I could make do with a large handbag.
- Maps - Taking a UK road atlas and Western Europe SatNav (if you are renting a car for more than a week buy your own SatNav - works out cheaper).
- Mobile Phone and Battery Pack - We have a plan that gives us international roaming and a small data allowance. It is handy to be able to phone Mr GeniAus when I lose him in a cemetery or shopping mall. I had a dinosaur battery pack that is so heavy. Now have a lighter new one that give two charges.
- A Notebook - I lose loose bits of paper.
- Passport - Already in travel handbag with sleeping pills for the plane.
- Pegs and Laundry Soap - No need to buy expensive "travel" products.
- Pencil Case - a few pens and pencils and a small ruler that has a magnifying window(Handy for reading small print or old handwriting).
- Phone the Banks and Amex: Need to let them know we are travelling, helps them monitor for fraud - Done.
- Pills and potions - All sorted, have packed an emergency 'just in case' kit of favourites. A few days supply in handbag in case we part company with our bags.
- Plastic Plates and Cutlery - Just two sets.There's nothing like a picnic dinner of bread, cheese,tomatoes and ham.
- Rental Car - another job for Mr GeniAus, done months ago.
- Compile list of research tasks for The National Archives - In progress in my Family Historian Database.
- Clean off all my SD cards - have backed up all photos on them to two hard drives.
Storage for my SD Cards |
- Technology: Digital camera and charger, Laptop, Portable 4 TB HDD Drive ( I download and tag my photos religiously most days), Chargers, Universal Adapters. Most of this stuff lives in a purpose designed case that doesn't get unpacked between trips. Of course my mouse will be travelling with me, I can't get by without my mouse.
- Scan Travel Docs - Include copies of prescriptions for drugs and glasses, health report from GP, Passport, Credit cards, Driver's Licence. Save onto phone, hard drive, Google Drive and computer. Mr GeniAus carries a hard copy of files as well.
- Should I take a Selfie Stick? I have a cheap, light one and a quality reliable one that is heavy.
- Travel insurance - Renewed.
- Walking stick - needed for cities with cobblestone and uneven paths.
- Water bottle - Can fill once I have passed through security at airports.
- Follow fellow Show attendees on Twitter - added a few new genimates to my feed already.
- Find out names of Aussies who are travelling to THE Show -- wonder if I have missed anyone?
- Conference Registration - Done
- GeniAus Business Cards - Packed
- GeniAus Ribbons - Packed
- Blogger Beads - which ones will I wear?
- Comfortable, professional looking outfit and shoes for when I'm on stage.
- A light day bag for conference - Packed
- A Schedule - Haven't studied the program in depth but need to have a spreadsheet in Google Docs or put everything into my Google Calendar. Needs to be accessible on my phone.
- Back up my presentations - Still fiddling with the order of my slides.Need to prune a few too.
- Technology - I take a few extra toys when attending a conference as I may want to blog, vlog or interview genimates. A dual headed microphone for interviewing with my phone, my headset and microphone and a webcam - all packed.
Any further suggestions?
A good list Jill. I don’t take my laptop any more, just iPad and sometimes a keyboard. I love the battery charger I got at Dublin airport, not much bigger than a credit card. Laundry works as well with hotel shampoo but I do like the yellow soap (brand?) that is a stain remover....can I help it if I dribble? I save my travel docs etc in Evernote rather than GoogleDrive. After being constantly detoured when picking up Mr Cassmob at Dublin airport we always have a local SIM. We got a selfie stick in Spain but have hardly used it. I can’t live without my Kindle ebooks when travelling (some 10,000 on the iPad). Always make sure I have a credit of Skype just in case I need to ring Oz urgently.
ReplyDeleteLook forward to your posts and garden pics.
You are so organised! Yes I'm not travelling quite as far as you to get there but I don't even have a list of things I need to take yet!
ReplyDeleteI travel a lot, generally with one suitcase and one cabin bag. My cabin bag is always a small daypack that makes it easy to navigate airports and train stations, for it allows me to always have one hand free. And when wandering around a city that small daypack is ideal, leaving me with both hands free.
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