Packing Tips--Seeker Style!

By Debby Giusti

I’m packing for the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference today and flying to Indianapolis tomorrow. Last week when I realized I needed a blog topic, I asked the Seekers to share their packing tips and any unusual items they include in their suitcases.

Myra was the first to respond. “Hotel rooms are either too quiet, too noisy, or the A/C cuts on and off with a jolt,” she said. “So I always travel with my ‘white noise’ machine.”

She uses SoundSpa by Homedics, which can be found at Walmart or Bed, Bath & Beyond. "Mine runs on either AC or 4 AA batteries," says Myra. "It packs easily in a suitcase, and I’ve never had a problem getting it through airport security. In fact, I've even taken it overseas.”

Myra saw the Solo rolling briefcase I used at the Romance Writers of America Conference and bought one for herself. “Can't wait to try it out at ACFW!” she said.

She also packs Airborne. “The effect may only be psychological, but being around that many people in close quarters for three or four days, I'll do just about anything to ward off germs!”

ACFW Treasurer Pam Hillman will be busy this week and a good night’s sleep is a must. “There's nothing more frustrating than getting a little tickle in your throat at 1 A.M. in a hotel room with no way to soothe it,” Pam says. Her suitcase is a well-stocked medicine cabinet, with Band-Aids, Tylenol or Ibuprofen, cough drops, Dimetapp and Robitussin. In addition to the meds, she includes a small umbrella, safety pins and a flashlight. Pam plans on buying a lot of books at the conference and will pack a USPS Flat-rate box and a tape gun in her suitcase so she can mail her purchases home.

“I pack light and mix-n-match,” Pam continues. “In fact, I make it fit, or I leave extra stuff at home.” She doesn’t carry a purse through the airport but uses a carry on she purchased at Walmart for less than $30. “It has a laptop sleeve and enough room for a light sweater, pocketbook, phone charger, a book, pens, and a small bag of lotion, Band-Aids, ibuprofen and germ-X.” Somewhat nervous about flying, she also packs a Bible in her carry on to read during takeoff.

Cara Lynn James always brings her health insurance cards just in case. A list of prescription drugs and the dosage is also a good idea as well as an emergency point of contact.

Missy Tippens is always ready to travel and keeps a number of items in her suitcase at all times, such as house slippers, a formal handbag, travel alarm clock and ziplock bags with toothpaste, toothbrush, glasses cleaner, and other toiletries. Plus, a tube of mascara. “It’s a basic necessity that I forgot at RWA in 2009 and will never again leave behind!” says Missy.

Say goodbye to ironing with Glynna Kaye’s packing tip. “I've been doing this ziplock thing ever since I took a trip to Britain ages ago,” Glynna says. “I get varying sizes of bags--quart, gallon, 2 1/2 gallon. Then I neatly fold each item and put them in separate ziplocks. I've found it really does work.” The bags slide against each other in transit so the fabrics don’t get pulled or wadded up.

For fabrics that are easily wrinkled, Glynna folds the garment around a ziplock bag and offers the following instructions. “I place a blouse face down on the bed and then lay an appropriately sized ziplock bag on top of the back of the main body of the garment, below the shoulders and above the hem. I fold the sides in toward the middle of the garment first and then the sleeves. Finally, I fold the bottom up. That way the front of the garment isn't rubbing against the back.” And for quick cleans ups for her wrinkle-free clothing, Glynna packs a Tide To Go stick.

Janet Dean says, “I'm sensitive to scents and can't use all hotel/motel soaps so I carry my own. I pack travel size shampoo/conditioner and lotions for the same reason and take my emergency inhaler along as well.” She also packs fingernail polish remover in her suitcase and always brings a book and crossword puzzles to help her relax at night.

Ever ready to connect with readers, Mary Connealy says, “I travel with several copies of my books and look for opportunities to give them away, often on the plane.”

She also packs at least two books she has previously read. “A basic part of my sleep routine is skimming along for favorite scenes. For some reason, since I know what's going to happen, I get sleepy.” Mary claims first reads don’t help her insomnia problems. “I have a terrible time putting a book down, and when I do, I lay awake and listen to the book whisper to me at night. ‘Mary, read me. Don't You Want To Know What Happens Next?’”

Hmmm? Who’s rooming with Mary? My advice is to borrow Myra’s white noise machine to wipe out those voices our dear Miss Mary hears!

My packing tips? With the current airline luggage weight requirements, I stick with basics on the road. Black slacks are a must and can be mixed with various tops or jackets. Shoes add weight so I wear my conference flats onboard the plane and pack one or two pairs of heels for evening.

I pulled a muscle at a conference a number of years ago and now pack muscle relaxers, just in case. Extra reading glasses and a second pair of contacts are a must as well as a night reading light that could double as a flashlight in case of emergency.

I have a small, lightweight devotional that includes scripture passages for each day—an Old Testament Reading, Psalm and New Testament—so my Bible, which is heavier, stays at home. If I have room, I stick in Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young, a daily devotional that always speaks to my heart. Of course, Seeker books are also included in my suitcase so I can read and relax before I go to sleep.

Because I like milk with my morning cup of coffee in the room, I pack small cartons of pasteurized milk that don't need refrigeration and double ziplock bag them to protect my clothing in case of breakage. Vitamins and calcium tablets as well as dried fruit, crackers, gum and mints are a must as well. Breakfast is included in our ACFW registration, but for other conferences, I often pack bagels and peanut butter—Jiff now sells individual "To Go" serving containers—so I can eat on the run.

A word of caution: A few years ago, my roommate packed powered Coffee-mate in a plastic baggie. TSA opened her suitcase and may have thought the white powder was an illegal drug. Someone sliced through the baggie, and the Coffee-mate spilled all over her clothes. What a mess!

To lower the odds of having TSA rummage through my suitcase, I pack electrical cords, battery chargers, umbrellas and curling irons—items that could look suspicious when scanned--in my carry on bag. Going through security, I place those types of items in a plastic bin to be screened separately.

Last bit of advice: Brings a few one dollar bills for tips—bellmen, cabbies, maids.

I hope you’ll share your packing suggestions today. Leave a comment and your email address to be included in the drawing for my book, PROTECTING HER CHILD, winner of the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence for 2010.

If you’ll be attending the ACFW conference, be sure to say hello! The Seekers usually gather in the lobby each evening so join us. Everyone’s invited. Hugs and love to all those who won’t be at the conference. We’ll bring back lots of information for the blog.

Happy writing! Happy reading!

Wishing you abundant blessings,
Debby Giusti
http://www.debbygiusti.com/

If you’re going to ACFW, check out our Seekerville Silent Auction Donation of favorite writing how-to books as well as some of our own novels. The value of the donation is $247.38 and includes a USPS Flat-rate box with postage attached for easy mailing. Packed inside you’ll find The Moral Premise, Writing the Breakout Novel, Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Give 'Em What They Want: The Right Way to Pitch Your Novel to Editors and Agents, A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words, Chicken Soup for the Writer's Soul, 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing, a Laptop Sleeve, a $15 gift certificate to Office Depot and MUCH, MUCH MORE!!! Proceeds will go toward scholarships for next years.