Transpo Woes

I have a big trip coming up next week, and I'm getting kind of anxious.

I head for Phoenix on Tuesday for GreenBuild, which lasts until the 13th.  I'm staying over the weekend though, taking the time to hang out with my mom, and coming home on Monday the 16th.  I'm excited, yes - last year's GreenBuild was really interesting and fun, even.  I'm just glad it's being held in Arizona this year instead of the Northeast.

But I'm nervous, too.  It's a little intimidating being in situations where I don't know a soul, but it's kind of nice at the same time because I can totally ignore everyone if I want to.  The crowd will be ginormous I'm sure, which just adds to the anxiety a bit.  Do I really fit in here?

On top of all that is the transportation.  Normally when I travel for work, I try to stay at a hotel close enough to the event so I can walk.  I love walking - not only for the exercise, but because if I get lost it's easy enough to stop, get my bearings, and get un-lost.  At GreenBuild last year, I wasn't quite close enough to walk (especially in the freezing Boston winter), but there were shuttle buses that went to the major hotels associated with the convention.  This year, I'm definitely not close enough to walk, and it looks like they're relying on public transportation rather than private shuttles.  And the thing that freaks me out about public transportation is not so much the public, as the inability to stop if I get lost, aka get on the wrong train or bus.  Once you're on, you're kind of screwed, and next thing you know you're halfway to Mexico.

So I'm scouring the Phoenix transportation website, hoping there's a straight shot from near my hotel to the convention center, but I can't make heads nor tails of the system.  I'm just hoping that the concierge is clued in and can help me out.

Otherwise I'm renting a damn car.