The tension is mounting, I’ll be getting round to packing later today, and I’ll light another candle for those wonderful guys in French air traffic control who are bound to let my plane through later this evening!

Although I only went to #IATEFL for the first time last year I learnt an awful lot, here are some of the essentials I’ll be taking this year:

1. Comfortable shoes 

Recently a conversation with colleagues turned to that well kown topic of “how to recognise an EFL teacher”, (see Nicola Prentis’ take for more details) and we came across the crucial sign – apart from the enormous bag that is, comfy shoes. I don’t mean that in a “Good Morning Vietnam” kind of way, but more in a “we walk miles” way.

Proof is that on a recent sightseeing trip to Lisbon I actually walked less than a typical day at school and you can ask my pedometer if you don’t believe me!

2. Snacks

With so much going on it’s easy to forget about brain food until it’s too late, so to avoid a hangry-driven mars bar overdose I always try and take some healthy-ish snacks to conferences.

3. Convertors & Cables

As a speaker I have nightmares about forgetting my jacks or convertor plug, it happened to the key-note speaker of a conference I attended recently! Also being an apple-addict I need extra jacks to compensate for the lack of useful entry points sleek design of my mac.

Being such a good girl, I’ve packed a spare of each so come and ask me if you haven’t!

Of course there are loads of things I’ve missed, notebook, clothes, etc. What are your essentials?