Co-written with Judy Minami. Originally published in LLL US Western Division’s Connections #72, July/August 1997.
You’ve packed and you’ve planned for this La Leche League event. And now the time for the Area Conference, Regional Meeting, CARE Workshop, staff meeting, or LLLI Conference is finally here. Like a kid in a candy store, it is very easy to be overwhelmed by the riches of the event, even to the point of overlooking accountability for the time and money you and/or the Area have invested in your attendance. How can you stay focused, be alert, open to people and information, and get the most out of this experience?
1. Keep an effective, personal sleep schedule. You know yourself. If you go to bed several hours later than usual, will you be able to function at the 8 o’clock breakfast meeting you scheduled with a fellow administrator?
I try not to feel guilty if I don’t attend every session I signed up for. If I really need to sleep in, I miss the first morning session. —Juanita Watt
A most helpful discovery to help me sleep away from home: ear plugs! Laura Maxon suggested these. She made hers from a sponge hair roller. I bought some easy-to-shape silicon plugs, and they were very useful and effective. —Diana Lewis
2. Relax with people who make you feel good.
3. Drink water. Many of us feel fatigued when we’re dehydrated. Bring along a special drink mug, water bottle, or cup. Prior to each session, be sure it’s filled.
4. Organize your day around your energy periods. Are you a morning person for whom early sessions are best? Do you feel more alert in the afternoon and evening?
5. Pay attention to your body and its nutritional needs. Keep to a regular meal schedule may be challenging. If you’ve traveled across time zones, the luncheon and dinner offerings can sometimes feel like too much food at the wrong time. Bring snacks from home or buy muffins, nuts, fresh fruit, etc., at the LLL event so you can eat something when you need it.
I’ve learned to listen to my body and take a nap during lunch break if I need to, snacking during the afternoon if necessary. This saved me when we had a meeting on the eastern edge of an earlier time zone. —Diana Lewis
6. Plan your day around the youngest child coming with you. Use the rock ‘n’ rest room. Visit the playroom. Break up your day with your little one.
When I took my seven-month-old son with me to an LLLI Conference, my day ended around 3 PM. We then went to the playroom, the pool and went to bed early. When other Leaders asked how I’d enjoyed the evening sessions and the banquet, I said, “I guess I went to a different conference. —Kathy Grossman
7. Acquiring information in a session is work. Give yourself a break in your hotel room or in a quiet corner between sessions when you need one. The rest and relaxation will contribute to your well-being.
I always bring a book—usually a mystery—that has nothing to do with breastfeeding or parenting. It helps alleviate the sense of overload I sometimes get from all the wonderful information. —Paula Nemes
I like calling my family (or those in the family who aren’t with me) when I’m all alone in the room. I’m whisked away to another world for a few moments, and I kind of enjoy feeling missed. —Kathy Grossman
8. Bring empty file folders and tote bags to organize the handouts and other materials you collect.
9. Visit the boutique and bookstore during off hours, especially if you have young children with you. You might want to skip a session and do your shopping during the quieter time.
I found that even if I missed a session, I enjoyed talking to Leaders who were working behind the scenes and helping them out if they needed me to run an errand. It was another way to feel a part of the conference. —Paula Nemes
10. Bring an empty backpack, duffel, or a large tote bag in your suitcase. It will probably be full when you leave! Pack extra materials and books for the trip home ahead of time during leisure moments in your room.
11. Plan a time to visit the hotel pool, exercise room, gift shops, or restaurant for a change of pace and focus. A swim, walk, or other exercise is good for your body and can improve mental alertness.
It was important for me to get outside for a change of scenery. Even in Phoenix in July, I took regular walks outside. It helped me keep things in perspective. —Christine Bierman
12. Plan for your personal health and comfort needs. You may want to pack menstrual supplies, lip balm, a favorite robe, facial tissue, and medications (your favorite brand of aspirin, etc., along with any prescription medications you will/may need). They may never be used, but it will give you peace of mind to have them with you.
I found that it helps to pack petroleum jelly or a light oil I can apply to the inside of the nostrils when I’m not used to a facility’s dry, conditioned air.
—Christine Bierman
I pack enough sanitary products so that, if my period starts just as we are on our way to the airport on the very first day, I am prepared to take care of myself.
—Kathy Grossman
An LLL event is a much anticipated, exciting time for Leaders and administrators. You owe it to yourself and your Area to be alert, productive, and prepared.
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