I’m not a fan of traveling by plane. I certainly appreciate the convenience of being able to cross to the other side of the world in the span of less than a day, but it is not (at least for me) a particularly comfortable way to travel. I’m don’t believe that the trans-Atlantic flight will be the exception to that opinion (but I’d be like to be surprised).
I especially do not like traveling alone. I feel exposed and vulnerable, not to mention isolated. I have no one to whom I can turn and express my feelings about something I have just seen or done. Those of you who have watched movies or shows with me (and even some of you who haven’t) understand how much I crave that connection.
Finally, this is outside of my comfort zone. I am a creature of habit, but more than that I don’t like being in situations where in which I am unfamiliar. More specifically, I don’t like not knowing, yet here I am heading to a country where I do not speak the language to a city about which I know very little.
When nervous, I tend to either respond with anger. To compensate, I try to turn to humor—which often feels forced to me. I also tend to overindulge. I bought a new backpack, wallet, and charging cable in the last couple of days because I noticed small flaws in the ones that I had planned on using. Meanwhile, I bought a coffee that I did not need—and then some popcorn just because it smelled good.
One good thing so far has been my growing appreciation for the travel pouch that I got to carry my phone and wallet. Strapped across my chest, it has not only been more comfortable than I expected, but it has been extremely convenient. Although it is larger (and thus more conspicuous) than I had expected when I bought it online, it fills the role that my “wallet holster” idea was supposed to do. I may even use it regularly once this trip has concluded.