In this video I’m taking you with me as I fly to Phoenix, Arizona for a research conference, and I’m sharing the exact mindset and habits I use to keep travel costs low as a PhD student. I start with the travel day (airport + flight), then do a quick hotel tour so you can see what conference lodging actually looks like. I also squeeze in some real-life stuff like grabbing In-N-Out and walking around downtown Phoenix—because conferences aren’t just presentations, they’re also about learning how to travel efficiently and still enjoy the trip. The core of the video is my breakdown of how PhD students can get travel opportunities in the first place—especially if you’re early in the program and you’re not sure how people keep showing up to conferences. I talk about the doctoral consortium portion of the conference and why those events can be worth it beyond just “putting it on your CV.” Finally, I wrap up the trip heading back to Toronto, with a realistic look at what conference travel feels like when you’re balancing research, budgeting, and being away from your usual routine.