Slowly but surely, one by one, all of the items on my To Do, To Pack, and To Purchase lists in preparation for my trip to New York City for BlogHer ’12 are being checked off. I’m actually starting to feel somewhat prepared to go!
Those feelings of organization, however, are accompanied by a degree of nervousness – about travel (it’s been a long time since I traveled alone), about leaving the country (it’s been an especially long time since I’ve left the country on my own!), about safety (as a relatively untraveled Canadian in an enormous US city), about meeting new people (and spending the weekend fighting to get past my natural shyness), and a host of other small anxieties that pile up and make me feel rather edgy.
It hasn’t been a very pleasant day!
I think that part of the reason I find myself tackling my concrete trip preparations at the last minute is because I was aware, subconsciously, that I’d have to face and deal with the not-so-pleasant feelings that would inevitably accompany the excitement and enthusiasm. But I’m working through it! I’m hoping that by the time Thursday morning rolls around I’ll have been able to banish (or at least moved to a back burner) the nerves and anxiety and focus on enjoying the journey, connecting with people, and having a great time.
Any suggestions? Helpful ideas are welcome!