If you struggle with anxiety, you'll probably understand the initial excitement of traveling but absolute terror and stress when the moment finally comes. Or that in fear of missing your flight or being pulled aside at TSA, you make sure you arrive an hour earlier than what others consider early. But despite this, you've bought the ticket, you're all packed and you're ready. You have to swallow your anxiety and move.
And now that you've finally calmed down on the plane and arrived at your destination, you think all is good. But that is until you realize you have no clear what you're doing or where you're going. Then the universe throws a curve ball at you that hits right in the gut: the airline has seemingly lost your luggage. As if the day was not difficult enough. Now, you have to figure out how what to do with no one there to tell you. But fortunately, once you check in with the airline, they receive a phone call saying that your bag was placed on the wrong belt. You let out a sigh of relief.
Driving through the new city, you get excited because it is everything you imagined it would look like. But how does it work? The roads are different. You have to take the bus? How do I know what route the stores are on? What if I take too long to find the right euros? But you find them before the bus comes and you carry on.
So you've managed the bus. But you're all alone. You might know a couple people's names if you're lucky but you don't know what to say to them so you stay so silent that you don't even remember the last time you talked. You begin to regret your decision to come here and begin texting all of your friends that you miss them. You tell your roommates to get rid of your replacement because you're coming home. You begin to think of ways you can get out of the trip without throwing away all the money spent. But then you're taken on a tour of the city. Someone shows you how to use the bus, where to eat, and what stores have the best deals. Your heartbeat slows down a little. You start to see how beautiful the city actually is and all the potential that's there. You begin talking to the people you barely knew and things start feeling normal again. All will be okay.
Anxiety is a huge obstacle that many of us deal with everyday. Traveling with it can be daunting. But if you know what can calm you down such as always being prepared with your bus euros, keep track of landmarks, or whatever else, do it. Help yourself as best you can. Something to keep in mind is that everything will pass in time. So while you may be struggling at first, time will go on and it will be over. Hopefully you will enjoy yourself so you're attention isn't focused on the calendar but, if you don't, keep that tip in mind. This is a journey you knew you wanted, so you went for it and now you have it. Things work out. It always works out.
