Posts Tagged ‘anxiety’

Preparing to Travel Can Be Overwhelming

| by Jason on June 29th, 2024 | 10 Comments » | Reflections, Trip Planning

Packing and selling our stuff

Packing and selling our stuff

Preparing to travel has become overwhelming for me.  Last night was the first night I was not able to sleep; awake until 3:00am thinking about all that remains to be done.

When you live in the United States, traveling to another country typically means you have a long trip overseas.  It means you have to research passport and visa requirements, book flights, and ensure things at home are taken care of.  I assume it might be easier in Europe, considering at any given location you are only a few hours away from another country.  Europe offers varying cultural environments within close proximity, making it a travel hot spot.  Leaving the States, on the other hand, well that is going to require more time, money and preparation.  Maybe this is the reason many Americans avoid overseas travel.  I don’t think it is the only reason, but I am sure it makes the list.

We aren’t traveling to Europe for a 2-week vacation.  And if you know me well, you would believe that I would prepare months in advance for that 2-weeks.   I would want to make sure everything was perfect, limiting any chaos or stress during our travels.  But, we aren’t going on a 2-week vacation, instead we are embarking on a year long backpacking journey.  A journey which will be filled with the unknown; new cultures, language barriers and obscure villages.  For me, it is about letting go of control.  I am unable to prevent the inevitable stress we will experience.  Being able to control yourself when in a situation that is out of your control is a skill I hope to learn. (more…)

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