Continuing our conference themed topics, this week we're talking about "A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Conference".

All I can think about is that a couple of nights ago, a friend hit me up in IMs and asked if I was ready to go.

Huh?  It's still two weeks away.  I have not yet begun to prepare. 

Do people really begin packing days and days ahead of leaving for an event?  I know it's a big conference and all, but it isn't that difficult to put clothes, shoes, accessories and toiletries in a suitcase, is it?  No matter what the trip, I never pack until the night before I leave.  Most of the time, I have to wait for the last load of laundry to finish in the dryer so I can depart with the freshest, cleanest underwear.

Granted, I've begun musing about which clothes to take.  My wardrobe for a writers' conference moves several steps up the style scale from my daily work clothes.  (For those who don't know, during the day I work for a nonprofit dolphin facility in the Florida Keys.  My professional attire consists of a staff T-shirt, shorts, sandals and sunscreen.)

I've actually purchased a couple of new outfits.  Not that I didn't have enough clothes in my closets, but it's been awhile since I went to the RWA Conference.  I wanted a few new dresses.  Nothing wrong with that, right?

The new purchases make it really easy to organize myself for the eventual packing to come.  Some were purchased online, so as soon as I received them and tried them on, I folded them neatly and put them on the bed in the spare room.  That's where I do my serious packing.  When I finally get around to doing it.

For those of you who think I'm taking this entirely too casually, I'll let you in on a little secret.  A few days before I leave, I suddenly go into a massive obsessive state about my wardrobe.  I'll think over and over and over again about whether I've selected enough clothes for every day of the conference.  Then I'll worry about how many pairs of shoes I need.  Tell myself a dozen times that this is one of the few times in the year when I have to wear some sort of hose.  I remind myself again and again not to forget about some fun party clothes for the evenings, the semi-formal outfit for the awards ceremony, and enough casual-but-nice togs just in case.

Here's a tip that I recently taught myself.  When I have selected all of the clothes that I need, I pick one additional "just in case" outfit.  You know -- just in case someone spills a pitcher of salad dressing on me at lunch; just in case I snag my trousers on something and rip out the seat; just in case . . .  Fill in the blank.

One more tip:  I always through in an extra pair of contact lenses, too.  Just in case.

Right now, I'm cool, calm and collected about the whole thing.  In two weeks I'll be darting from closet to closet pulling out jackets, dresses, tops, skirts, and pant suits.  Even after I zip up the suitcase and am on my way to the airport, I'll worry whether I've forgotten some vitally necessary article of clothing.

My friends who planned in advance probably won't have that worry.