Pre-departure jitters

I am definitely a planner. My housemates (all boys), don’t seem to understand why I whittle hours away at my computer, searching for the cheapest/cleanest/cutest/most centrally-located Parisian apartment on AirBnB, or why I scour tripadvisor message boards for advice about what to wear in Morocco, or why I’ve exchanged email correspondence with dozens of people on couchsurfing.org without settling on one to stay with while in Montpellier. They say things like, “it will work out” or “just wait until you get there” and “everything happens for a reason.” This lackadaisical philosophy drives me crazy sometimes!

Although I love adventure and can appreciate the adrenaline of living one day at a time, I prefer to have at least a rough idea of where I’m going, where I’m staying and how much I will need to spend. My daily activities can remain flexible, but I think that some planning ahead will save me a lot of time and money in the long run.

As the months dwindle and my departure date nears, I should begin to feel more and more at ease as all the details fall into place. My advance planning should afford me some peace of mind, right? WRONG. As September escapes me, I feel my anxiety levels rise. I find myself constantly checking all 100,000,000,000 travel blogs that exist on the web. Should I buy a laptop lock? Do I need insurance on my camera? Is my suitcase big enough? Is my suitcase small enough? Will my Verizon iPhone work with an international SIM card? Questions I thought I had settled keep popping back in my head as I second guess myself.

It is only when I realize that I have not seen my boyfriend all week that I realize I need to take a step back. I am about to leave my friends and family for five months, but I have made little effort to spend quality time with them in the precious few days I have left.

It is easy to get caught up in work or school or even personal drama, but tonight I will take comfort in the notion that “it will all work out,” and I am unplugging from all Internet and social media avenues.

Ok, ok… I will probably still check my fantasy football lineup :).

#predeparture #airbnb #tripadvisor #couchsurfing #planning