I’m prepping for a trip, leaving in a couple of weeks. I’m excited about the trip … and I’m exhausted with prepping for it and stressing over it.

I love traveling, and I’m generally pretty good at it. But I always have travel anxiety. What if I’ve forgotten something important? What if I miss my connection? What if my luggage is lost? What if … ? Every possible catastrophe, every possible pitfall. In the weeks leading up to some trips, I dream about the things I have yet to organize for the journey. It’s totally nuts.

And my usual anxiety isn’t helped by the fact that this trip starts with a flight. I don’t enjoy plane travel at all, and the accidents and near-misses we’ve seen in the last month have my stomach in knots.

Sigh.

If I can get to the airport on time … if I get past the flight … the trip will be fine. There’s a lot to look forward to: seeing friends from all over the country, getting to meet a cousing for the first time, long distance trains. Just have to breathe deeply and keep my nerves from choking me.