Travel Anxiety and Tummy Butterflies

 Every time I start a new journey, I feel butterflies in my tummy. Anything from a 2-day journey to starting a whole new adventure, those pretty little bugs start flitting around. 

The nerves sit with me while I book hotels, get tickets to events or shows, and start my travel itinerary. They stay while I get my flight or reserve a car rental. In my mind, I have the "what-ifs" making an appearance. 

• What if I'm spending too much money?
• What if I get sick?
• What if the car breaks down?
• What if I get stranded or something catastrophic happens?

I push through the nerves and the worries and push the confirm button to make the payment or the reservation. 

My nerves dance again as I near the start of each journey. I'm an early-to-the-gate girly who has to get through airport security and locate my gate to make sure it exists before I go and get a coffee before the flight. I'm a pack, check my list, and recheck my bag to ensure I have everything before I load my car. I struggle with stopping for food. Sit-down restaurants are out of the question when I'm about to drive somewhere.

Once I'm at my airport gate and have seen that it's real. Once I've topped off my gastank and am officially on the road. Once I've started the journey, the nerves all go away. I find that fear isn't needed and that it is replaced with joy and anticipation of what's to come.

I look forward to exploring new places, seeing new things, and having new experiences. What will the trip have in store for me? 

While I love exploring and dreaming, and planning my trips, there's always a little bit of nerves dancing around the edges. Over the years, those nerves still play on my mind, but I've learned to just go with it. 

Have things gone wrong in the past? Absolutely. I've stayed in hotels/motels that were less than ideal. I've checked into places that I immediately "noped" out of and checked right back out to find somewhere else to stay. I've had car issues, including a rental with a check engine light that was on and had to go back into the rental office at 1:00 am to demand a different car (I did have to demand since they weren't exactly helpful or willing to exchange to another vehicle). I've nearly run out of gas and had a friend come to rescue me. I've had my car towed for miles when it died. I've nearly missed flights due to various complications.

Despite the challenges, though, I know I can handle them. I know there are solutions and people who are always willing to help. I've learned that I can rely on myself to work through less-than-ideal situations. 

In the end, whether my experiences were good or bad, I'm left with memories that will always be mine and stories to share. As I embark on future journeys, I look forward to what butterfly-inducing activities I'll experience.