Note: This was originally published on wacie.com on June 25, 2013.

I’ll be spending the next few days in Boston, where I’m attending the Games for Health Conference. I entered a game development contest, and had my game place among four other finalists. At this conference, I’ll be showing my game in a panel with the other finalists, and hopefully learning how to improve my game. It’s a three day trip. I leave very early Wednesday morning and get back home again very late Friday night. I’ve packed 25 pounds of luggage.

When it comes to packing for a trip, especially one as important as this, I always have two forces inside me battling each other. Actually, this is true for pretty much everything I do. There’s The Survivalist, the pragmatic, rational minimalist who knows what is necessary and what is frivolous, what must come with me and what must stay behind. Then, there’s The Boy Scout. The Boy Scout is nothing if not prepared for any situation, and sees the frivolous, extraneous items as a contingency plan. Did the heel on your shoes break? Good thing you packed two other pairs!

The Survivalist knows I only need three outfits, one for each day of the conference. The Survivalist knows I only need one pair of shoes, minimal accessories, a toothbrush, and underwear. The Boy Scout continually asks “What if?” What if I end up at a nice restaurant? I couldn’t possibly wear the suit pants and jacket I wore at the conference all day, so I pack a dress. What if something happens to a piece of clothing and I can’t wear it? What if I need to walk several blocks, and dress shoes are impractical? I might not need any of this stuff, but I might. The Boy Scout usually wins out. I probably won’t need all the stuff I packed, but it’s better to have it and not need it than end up with too few clothes or toiletries.

I love travelling. I don’t get to travel nearly as often as I would like. I spent a good part of the day today exploring Boston on Foursquare, checking to see if there are any good restaurants and bars and sights to see within walking distance of my hotel. I’m pretty sad I won’t have time to see more of the city, but I’ll still have a chance to do and see and eat and drink things I’d never get to experience otherwise.  This is what I’m looking forward to the most. I’m excited about learning more about the world of healthcare gaming, but I’m more excited about being a tacky tourist.