Gearing Up for GRIP!

Next week I'll be attending GRIP (Genealogical Research Institute in Pittsburgh) for the third year in a row. This year I'm taking "Fundamentals of Forensic Genealogy for the 21st Century."

Room at GRIP (La Roche College in Pittsburgh)

Unfortunately, the past two years when I've checked in to my room the air conditioning was broken. Both times, they moved me, but the first year I didn't get moved until the second day. So, I'm hoping for a cold room on the first try this year!

North Park - minutes away from GRIP

I'm also organizing one or two trips to North Park which is just a few minutes away from GRIP. Last year, a small group of us went to this beautiful park and walked around. This year, I hope to kayak around the lake. It's gorgeous!

I'll also be taking a short genealogy trip before GRIP starts which includes some cemetery visits and meeting some of my dad's cousins and one of his uncles! Plus, we hired a local researcher to make some copies of documents and we will be picking those up from her. It's going to be a wonderful week.

P.S. If you're staying at the dorm, here's a link to a great packing list posted by Tina Lyons at GenWishList.

Tip: I am used to a fan at night, but I fly so can't pack one. My solution? I have someone drive me to a pharmacy or grocery store the first night and pick one up for about $10. Then, on the last day, I leave it on the "give away" table. For me, it's definitely worth the money to get a good night's sleep!