Two days ‘til take off... and I'm driving myself crazy

Two days from now Gideon and I will be at the airport preparing to board our Cathay Pacific flight to Kathmandu. 

I’m pretty much as ready as I’m going to be.  I’m sure I will unpack and repack my luggage four or five more times before we head to the airport on Friday evening, but I don’t think I’ll be adding or subtracting much more from my accumulation of travel necessities. 


I really dislike the generalized feeling of anxiety I wrestle with the few days before a big trip.  I feel like I’m in a holding pattern.  I can’t stick to my regular routine.  I can’t wear certain clothes because they are packed or will be packed.  I can’t totally relax.  Oh, and then there are those pesky passport dreams.  Always the same thing—I show up at the airport without my passport, or worse, not even realizing I needed a passport in the first place.  I’m left behind, all the big plans ruined.

In an effort to quell my angst, I tend to shop.  I stalk the aisles of Target, CVS, R.E.I., Borders, Marshalls—anyplace will do, really—to see if some all-important travel necessity catches my eye.  There’s usually something… anti-bacterial wet wipes, slippers for the plane, small gifts for folks we’ll meet in Nepal, energy bars for the trek, a few more pairs of socks.  But really, is it necessary?  I admit, many of the purchases I’ve made probably won’t even be used in Nepal, but for some reason, feeling prepared for just about anything calms me down. 

The fact is, I am ready to get on with it.  It’s time to travel and I won’t rest until I’m on that plane and poking through my carefully packed carry-on bag deciding what snack to eat first, or what book to read first.  Until then, I’ll be flitting around like a busy bee, accomplishing nothing of great importance.