I guess after doing the same thing, the same time of year for 25 years, it does instill a permanent feeling in a person. When I start to feel fall in the air, I know it is time.
We search out a few convention clothes, determined by the average temp at wherever that years' locale may be. Airfares, hotel reservations, travel plans have been made for months by September. The show catalog received with important info highlighted and most of all the entry deadline written in red on the rabbitry calendar. New sneakers are bought to protect us from spending entire days and evenings on concrete showroom floors. For Sale postings are perused for the chance to buy that outerlands winning show stock. The reverse too is done as sellers look to disperse some of their better stock far from their local show base. Also to help offset the huge single show expense the trip demands. Airfare, car rental, hotel, entry fees, shopping and dinner money is all set aside. And don't forget those exorbiant kennel excess baggage fees. Those fees always seem to go up the week before convention. No doubt there is an airline mole that has the ARBA website as a "favorite" to date check.
Packing light is hard to do as you want to have everything you could possibly need with you. This is hard enough when you are a person traveling alone. But when you have the rabbits to pack for also, it is a formidable task. Worse still if you are flying. Not only are you going to pay the huge kennel cost, but may also have to check a piece of luggage just for feed, supplies, dishes, risers, hay, pedigrees etc. to pack. Not to mention your back-saving kennel cart. It's like traveling with a circus. Which, of course is verified when you are in the airport with everyone eyeing your carriers with the fur sticking out. "Gee, where are you going with them?" they ask. Meanwhile with frayed nerves caused by a flight delay, baggage claim's not-so-careful handling and TSA's lack of S-hook reconnection understanding, you aren't ARBA's idea of a great rabbit ambassador.
Oh, but through it all, it is worth it for The Greatest Bunny Show on Earth!