Must be nice to not be worried about going to an undisclosed location. I'm flipping out like crazy about this and I know exactly where I'm going. I'm leaving in 8 days. God I hope I'm not freaking out like this for 8 whole days. I'm having trouble sleeping tonight thinking about it and I can't calm down enough to sleep.

maybe you can get all the top drawings and some pictures from the people you're renting it from. i have sometimes done this when travelling with my family. i find it's extremely helpful so when i get nervous during the trip i can calm down planning what i will do when i get there (eg: "1.- leave little books suitcase by fireplace 2.- bring clothes suitcase to room, leave it under the window, use drawer 1 for blah" etc)

i find that i'm ok travelling alone, i feel, small and unprotected but calm. but my family just gets to my nerves. i've gotten into some terrible arguments with them during long trips. i always swear it's the last time i will join them.
so sometimes i pretend i'm a hitch-hiker and they picked me up next to the road, and i imagine my life and theirs in this parallel universe to calm down.

also, i don't sleep the night before leaving, so i'm tired and i sleep more during the trip. and i take long walks by myself so we rest from eachother and nobody ends up wounded... =/

hope this is of any use... also hope you have a great trip. take it easy on yourself & enjoy!

Evie,

I've found that the anticpation of the event (what's going to happen, what could go wrong, who's going to be there, etc.) is always so much worse than the actual event. I also know saying that doesn't help one damn bit when the anxiety is up.

So much good advice given here. I'm with hodge...I haven't flown in three and a half years and I have no idea how I would react to it. But remember-you've got your family with you and they'll be making sure that you're doing ok. And they'll help you if you have a tough time. And if you have an issue in the middle of the terminal...don't care about what others think. You'll never see these people again in your life-screw em and what they think. Taking care of yourself is #1 priority for you.

I know you've used a code word in the past when things are getting to you and you need some extra help. Maybe using this again for the trip. If you're in an airport, there's lots of little out of the way nooks and crannies to get out of the main flow of the crowd. For the plane, you could take your ipod and just block it all out for a bit.

I hope you and your family have a great trip, Evie.

Lisa

I have an idea. Make a CD of you fav music. Music for dancing and music for calm moments too. That's what i use to get me through. I put on my music and close my eyes so I can't see the crowds and it's just me and the music.

Hmm that's an interesting idea Vera... actually the people who own the house are family friends, maybe they would be able to email me some pictures. I like the detailed plans you make, that sounds so much like me! I get along all right with my family but I like your visualization of being someone else or parallel universe or whatever, I think I might try that too. Thanks!

Yup, that's what I'm having right now. I realize it too, and I'm trying to be "rational" about it, but like you said it is really hard to get out of that "mode". I'm glad my family aren't the kind of people who say trite stuff like, "Oh don't worry, you'll feel better soon" or I might have to rip their faces off right now!! :p And you hit the nail on the head about me worrying about other people in the airport and what they think of me. I am majorly worried. And not much for them staring at me but for my family, that they will be embarrassed by me and I will cause trouble for them. I'm especially worried about my little nephews seeing me in that state (they are also coming). I was crying about it a lot last night, I barely got any sleep, I really worked myself into a state over it. I couldn't even play my video games and that's BAD! I did talk to my family about it though this morning and they said I am worrying for nothing as they would not be embarrassed. I am feeling a little better today though the lack of sleep obviously hasn't helped.

It's funny but I honestly didn't realize just how upset I was about this trip until I started writing about it and reading people's responses. I think because of how busy we've been I haven't had much time to think about it at all. Which is good maybe but now it's really upsetting me.

Thanks 2quilt, that's also a good idea. I use an iPod actually but I'll make sure my iPod has all my favourite songs loaded on it before I go. I really have appreciated everyone's ideas, I'm going to save all of them and maybe I'll even write an article for the information section (in the new year) based on travelling. I don't think there is one. Thanks again for all the ideas and for saying you understood as I really have been feeling like a loser for how scared I am.

Oh and sorry about this, reading it this morning, it sounds really bitchy and I didn't intend for it to sound that way at all. I was really upset last night.

Actually, that post made me think of Cheney (snort) :)

Huh? Haha, I'm not sure what you mean Hodge? You mean going to an undisclosed location?

Oh, sorry, I didn't realize you wouldn't get the joke. After 9/11 and the Bush gang was issuing terror alerts left and right, Cheney was always being moved to "an undisclosed location." It just struck me funny.

Ohh okay haha. I'm not sure I realized that. I don't watch the news much. But that is funny now that you explain it. :)