Planning for a homeschool convention, the necessities {free printable}

To say that I am excited about our upcoming trip to Nashville to attend the Teach Them Diligently Convention is an huge understatement. I have been planning and looking forward to March 20-22, 2014 ever since those dates were announced as the next Nashville TTD Convention!

I have a running packing list that I refer to whenever we take a trip. As a side benefit to blogging, my children and I have taken a few trips that would not have been possible without blogging, such as to visit The Creation Museum, and the fun activities we experienced while visiting my parents in NY. We have taken more trips over the past two years than usual for us, and this year holds the same. We love to travel, so this is a good thing!

 

Here is my planning list for a homeschool convention- the necessities:

Comfy clothes- you will be walking and sitting all day, be comfortable!

Comfy shoes- again, lots of walking ahead

Underclothes- obviously  😉

Swim suit- if you plan to swim

Sandals or flip flops for walking to the pool

A sweater- some rooms will be cooler than others (TTD Nashville is kept at 72*)

Makeup

Hair accessories (minus the hair dryer as there should be one in your room)

Refillable water bottle- at TTD Nashville, each room will have water available, fill your cup with ice before leaving the hotel area, then fill it with water in the rooms.

Address labels to sign up for catalogs and giveaways (saves a bunch of time!)

Business cards (or contact cards- with contact info and blog address)

Note-taking materials- whether that is pen & paper or more advanced (I have a Kindle and have purchased a Bluetooth keyboard to type my notes)

Clipboard (I like to have a hard surface for writing)

Smart phone- I will be Tweeting from TTD (follow me), using the hashtag #TTDNashville (you can also follow TTD!)

Chargers for electronic devices (I invested in a portable charger this year as the outlets at the convention center are somewhat few and far between)

Rolling cart

Mints, gum, and/or Tic Tacs

Snacks (easy to eat in between sessions- nuts, granola bars, etc)

Foods for your stay

Slow cooker, if you are using one

Extra coffee/filters, sweeteners, creamers (if you drink a lot of coffee- the hotel provides a small coffee pot and a couple of coffee packages)

Roll of paper towels, plastic utensils, disposable cups, plate & bowls

Lotion (my hands tend to dry out in the air conditioning)

Folder with all of your pertinent information (hotel reservation, speaker schedule, local information, maps, etc)

Headache medicine (whatever you use to treat headaches- the noise, the busyness, the crowds, being off-schedule can all lead to a headache)

Small bottle of hand sanitizer

Throat drops (my throat tends to get dry in hotel rooms)

Extra camera card (never know how many photo opps you will find!)

Your own pillow (I sleep better with extra pillows and being well-rested is a good thing!)

Cash (I prefer to leave my debit card at home and not use a credit card- also means when the cash is gone, the shopping is over!)

Patience and a good attitude!

Being prepared can make your convention trip all the more enjoyable. Just remember, though, that in the end, what matters is that you learned a few things and got to spend a few days surrounded by like-minded folks. That, in and of itself, is invaluable. The comraderie, the encouragement, the friendships, they are all more than worth the trip. Any item you forget can be purchased. Don’t stress over forgetting something. Relax and have a great time!

 

What is on the necessities portion of your TTD packing list?

 

If you would like to print your own packing list for necessities,
>>>click here<<<

 

Print your food planning for conventions list here