Planning a group research trip is much like plannning a wedding. There is a flurry of activity as soon as the date is set. Reservations for the venue(s) - in this case the archival repositories we will visit as a group, transportation, accommodation and evening entertainment. Inviting the participants. Planning the itinerary. Organizing the research materials. And getting the attendee packages together (instead of thank you gifts).
Then there is a lull for several months. Advertising still happens, e-mails and queries are still answered, connections are still made. But there is still lots of time for other work. Writing articles and blog posts, lectures, meetings and if lucky, personal research.
And suddenly the dates are looming and once again there is a flurry of activity. Finalizing all of the initial reservations, attending to the details that can't be done ahead of time. It feels like a whirlwind but as the weeks fly by, the anticipation and excitment mount. Now to make sure my own research gets organized so that I too can benefit from the trip!
T minus 6 as the astronauts say.