- Know where you're going! GoogleMaps is an invaluable aid, and keep an eye on street signs. Know how you're getting there. If you need some help, feel free to ask people going. Some might be able to offer a ride, or advice on how to get there. (I wound up using a combination of the two. I got a ride in, but I took public transportation out!)
- Talk! There are friendly people at Winkies, and all you have to do is just speak up sometimes. Don't interrupt, that's just rude, but don't be quiet all the time.
- Take your camera! I don't recall any photo shy Winkies...
- Take an extra shirt or something. Saturday morning, I wound up throwing on an extra shirt because, due to Asilomar being right on Monterey Bay, it is fed in with a constant cool breeze from the ocean, and sometimes, this can get cold, even in summer!
- Bring money! While all your meals are paid for in your registration, the dealers room and auction provide many a temptation! I was on a tight budget that I wound up going over anyways, even though I couldn't win any bids at the auction. (Aside from the $5 Dorothy pencil sharpener, but I didn't want it.)
- Shower! After your travel, you will need it. And your feet will love you for it, especially if you take a walk on the beach and sand gets in your shoes.
- Share a room! Yeah, it's cheaper than getting a single room, but the real perk is that you'll likely be paired with an experienced Winkie who can help familiarize you with the program and grounds.
- Subscribe! To this! Seriously, it did come in handy... And my report on the convention will be in the next issue, so this way, you can be sure to read it!
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Wednesday, July 28, 2010
A Beginner's Guide To The Winkie Convention!
Okay! It hasn't even been a week since I returned from Winkies, and I'm already getting excited for next year, planning on how to pay for it and all, and now fellow Oz bloggers (and former podcast guests) Doug Wall and Shawn Maldonado hope to attend as well. A number of other Oz fans have also expressed interest in going, so if it works out well for everyone, 2011 could be a well-attended year!
5 comments:
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Thanks for the newsletter plug! I think you got the basics down. It's a laid-back kind of convention, but the weather is tricky for people who don't realize that the mid-California coast can have weather more like Seattle than San Diego.
ReplyDeleteActually San Diego's weather is a lot more like Pacific Grove this year! Anyway - thanks for the WINKIE plug - I hope you're back next year!
ReplyDeleteI hope you speak a bit about the journey in and out of Oz. The hours spent in anticipation of and the satisfaction after would make for an interesting travel log.
ReplyDeleteI'd prefer not to speak about the trip. It marked the first time I wanted to kill children. And people who speak Spanish loudly in small areas.
ReplyDeleteForgive me... I had a run-in with the Amish one morning (4am) in a Pennsylvania Greyhound Station. Then, it was German rather than Spanish, but I do understand.
ReplyDelete