Various Advice Sought.

[Peppergirl]

We live close to each other, Mytical.

If you ever wanna hang out and go shopping or whatever, let me know. I'm not the most social of people, but I manage.

[AdminAssistant]

Take one good multipurpose coat or jacket. Carry or wear it on the plane.

In September in Georgia a jacket will not be necessary. Trust me. Unless the place where the con is has really severe air conditioning.

When I was prepping for LA, I just watched the weather for a few days, and that gave me a good idea of what to pack.

Are you flying or driving? I'm assuming since you mentioned a cooler that you'll be driving.

Also, of course, be nice to the hotel staff and tip them well, and they will be nice to you.

[ArcticChicken]

My social skills are a bit..*thinks of the word* limited. So any advice for a crazily shy person, who is a bit naive, and always looks for the good in people ... would be good. I am going to a convention, lots of people..at least there are a lot of people I 'sorta' know going.

You may be surprised, the one time I actually was able to go to a con, I felt entirely comfortable. I usually hate crowds and have difficulty talking to strangers, but there was no one I couldn't talk to, and I was entirely at home in the most crowded of panels. I don't think my issues are as bad as yours, but you may surprise yourself with how comfortable you are in a crowd of people who are like you.

As for packing, my priorities are underwear, shirts, pants. You absolutely need a clean pair of underwear for each day, 2 if you're going to wear them to sleep. Shirts can usually be worn for a few days, and jeans or other sturdy pants can be used longer than that, barring spills.

If I'm packing for a week, I usually pack 8-15 pairs of underwear, 3-4 shirts, 2 pairs of jeans, and a heavier shirt for nightime/freak cold spells, then pajamas if I have room, then I add more shirts and pants.

[Mytical]

I am driving. Wish it wasn't the case, but it is. Flying would take way to much, and I need the money for the shiny things at the Con. With no rests it is 8 1/2 hours drive, so 10 hours has been given + emergency time.

[Bardmaiden]

You may be surprised, the one time I actually was able to go to a con, I felt entirely comfortable. I usually hate crowds and have difficulty talking to strangers, but there was no one I couldn't talk to, and I was entirely at home in the most crowded of panels. I don't think my issues are as bad as yours, but you may surprise yourself with how comfortable you are in a crowd of people who are like you.

I'm a bit like you too and at Dragon*Con I've done stuff I wouldn't even think of doing in regular life.

[AdminAssistant]

I am driving. Wish it wasn't the case, but it is. Flying would take way to much, and I need the money for the shiny things at the Con. With no rests it is 8 1/2 hours drive, so 10 hours has been given + emergency time.

Ah, okay. Well, you're taking a cooler, so that's covered. For the trip, I might suggest using cool packs or putting ice in zippy bags to contain meltage and potential mess until you get to the hotel. Also, lots of easy to munch snacks, and a bit of money to get some hot food on the trip. On a trip that long, I would suggest actually stopping to eat a sitdown lunch someplace, even if it's McD's.

I have no idea how one gets from Ohio to Georgia, but if you drive through the Smokies, take lots of gum or Twizzlers or something to chew on to help your ears pop. Whenever you stop for gas or potty breaks, make sure you've got a snack/drink prepped if you want it, so you don't have to dig around for something while doing 80 on the interstate. (If you're driving with friends, ignore that, as they can open your bag of chips for you.)

Make sure you've got some kind of map in addition to your Google/Mapquest directions, and map out major towns along the route. I make an 8 hour drive between here and my parents, and it helps to mentally break it up into sections. Like, "Okay, it's so much further to Columbia" then, "Now to St. Louis" etc.

Also, don't be afraid to stop in a smaller town in the South. Deliverance was just a movie, yaknow. People may ask you where you're from if you have a different accent, but that's all. However, you will likely not run into that in Atlanta itself. They don't call it the "New York of the South" for nothing.

[KiaKat]

Great advice, AA. I drove (from NYC) last year, and I'm doing it again this year. Broke it up into two days, because otherwise the total trip is 16-18 hours. Within those two days, I broke it up into "Ok, first bit is through Jersey to the Del. Mem. Bridge. Second bit is through to Baltimore. Third is the DC area. Fourth is my aunt's house. Next day!" etc. Create a schedule (I expect to be at X point by 11AM), and try to stick to it.

Mytical, are you picking people up along the way, or doing it all yourself? If you're doing it all yourself, take a lot of breaks. Plan out exactly where you want to take said breaks, and mark them on your map or GPS.

Don't worry about getting in "late." Unless you're the only one on the room reservation, you can get in whenever you want, and the others will be understanding. Besides, I doubt any of us will be sleeping much, if last year is any indication

[Mytical]

I am the one with the room reservation, but as two of the people I am sharing with are riding with me, and one won't be in till the next day..that won't be an issue. From what I know there will be two drivers, and a navigator, so we can switch off to have a break. Breaks are also counted in the time. I have a GPS that I am taking with me also. Mytical is not getting lost .

[Seshat]

I've done plenty of loooong drives. The most important bit of advice is to make sure your brain is active and functional while you're driving. Micronaps can be fatal.

[Mytical]

One of the things that concerns me is that the person picking me up has mentioned that they will be driving around 8 hrs to get HERE, with another 10 (ish) hours to get to Atlanta. Now I can do most of the Driving from here, that is not a problem..so they can rest..but 18 hrs total (not counting breaks, etc) is a LONG haul.

[MaggieTheCat]

Any way the person driving 8 hours to get to you can come the day before and crash at your place for the night so they're starting out fresh on the trip to Atlanta?

Whenever my husband and I take a relatively long trip, he always brings sports drinks or life water with him; stuff to replace electrolytes. It's not as big of a concern as if you were outside in the sun sweating like crazy, but even in the car he sweats a bit and he likes to drink stuff that replaces the salts and stuff rather than just plain water.

If you're looking for a list of food that you can bring that is good for cons and will survive either without refrigeration or in a cooler for a few hours, let me know...when we went to A-Kon this year, I brought a ton of food and it all worked out great. We didn't buy any food at all the entire time we were there.

[kpzra]

When I drove from Michigan to Columbus Georgia to visit hubby, I got stopped for construction for a total of a few hours, in blast zones where you could not get out of your vehicle, or use a cell phone. I'd plan for some sort of delay like that, it is summer time. The rest stops are nice, some had great views. It's not too bad of a drive, I did it in one day by myself.

As for the weather, I'd bring a light jacket and a pair of pants if you are planning on mostly shorts. It was humid until mid-October when I lived there, but not super hot (compared to July). Don't forget a good pair of sun glasses.

[Jester]

I am going to be experiencing a LOT of firsts (despite being 36 years old).

I'm 40 and still experience firsts all the time. Part of the fun of life!

I am looking for advice on a decent Camera

Can't be very helpful there, no real knowledge on that.

So any advice for a crazily shy person,

Major extrovert here, so can't help with that either.

Looking for general travel tips, especially packing..as packing space will very limited.

Ah, something I know a bit about!

Since you're driving and not flying, wasn't sure why you have such limited packing space, but then, I don't know what kind of car you have, and I saw that there will be three of you in it. Still, you should have more space than if you were limited by airline limitations.

So, since it seems you'll be there a few days, pack enough clothing for that day, with an extra 1-2 of shirts, socks, and underwear. You never know what's going to happen. (On my last trip, I was very happy to have extra stuff, since one day was ultra-sweaty (Miami in July--'nuff said), and I went back to my hotel to shower and change for the night's festivities.)

For a trip of a few days, you should only need one bag.

One important thing I learned while traveling the country a few years ago is I had a plastic drinking cup with a lid and straw that was in a beverage holder on the center console. I bought a twelve pack of soda at a grocery store, and then would merely get some ice in my cup at gas stations to pour my soda into. Very few places had a problem with this. Even the anal places that charge for cups, you're not using a cup as you brought your own. And if the place is so anal that they won't let you have some ice, shove off....they're not worth bothering with.

One other travel tip: when you stop for food, whoever is driving should probably not eat anything huge or heavy. Food coma can be bad, mmmkay?

Was there something specific you were wondering about as far as packing?

Most of us geekgirls seem to be little tiny girls with big tall hubbies. It amuses me.

As a guy who is neither big nor tall but who loves "tiny little girls" as you call them, I absolutely hate guys like this. Bastids!

[Mytical]

Wow, a bit to cover here, with a few edits as my memory is not the best sometimes (so lots of going back, reading what people have posted..and then answering).

Maggiethecat (Can I call you maggie? ) I offered, and they said no (them crashing at my place). Think it is because they are on leave from the military so will have a limited amount of time. At least I can drive most of the way from where I am, so they can catch some zzz's then. Only can't really drive in heavy traffic (same issues I have with crowds..just not a good idea). As for packing food..between Diabetes and NASH my diet can be very limited. Even the food that I can eat, doesn't always agree with me. Still any suggestions are more then welcome.

24601. I would not subject my worst enemy to seeing me in shorts. The one exception I make is when going swimming. I am going clothes shopping for the con wednesday, just wish I had somebody who had fashion sense to go with. My idea of fashion is "Close? Check. Clean? Check. Good enough."

Jester - Nothing specific, just general tips. I've packed once to go into the Military (and had a huge dufflebag so that was easy). I've never had to pack for anything else in my entire life. This is the first 'away from home' vacation ever. (My last vacation was a hotel in the town I lived in that had a Jacuzzi..I am a wild man lol). As for drinks, mostly water for me. Not fond of diet drinks, and am told soda is a no no. Juices are not to bad though. May have to stock up on some fruit punch (100%, no extra sweetner).

To all, thanks for all the tips. This will help a ton.

[Seshat]

One of the things that concerns me is that the person picking me up has mentioned that they will be driving around 8 hrs to get HERE, with another 10 (ish) hours to get to Atlanta. Now I can do most of the Driving from here, that is not a problem..so they can rest..but 18 hrs total (not counting breaks, etc) is a LONG haul.

Okay. My husband and I have driven 14 and 16 hour trips, so here's some advice.

1. Take walking stops. Get out and walk. Don't just go to loo and fill the tank, walk around. Do stretches, do a bit of exercise.

2. Take a pillow and blanket. The passenger/s may find that helpful when napping.

3. The passenger in the front seat is responsible for the comfort of the driver. The driver is responsible for safe driving and nothing else.

4. If the driver finds themselves getting tired, getting road hypnosis, or otherwise not being alert, stop by the side of the road, have a walk, maybe swap drivers. (Maybe not.)

5. Change the temperature every hour or two, even if only by a couple of degrees. Change the music periodically. Have no music sometimes. Talk. Sing. Go silent. Changing the interior conditions will help keep the driver alert.

6. If there is any internal-to-the-car emergency, the driver must ignore it. At most, the driver should pull over and handle it after he's stopped. The front seat passenger is responsible for handling internal emergencies until the car is stationary.