#2916: my three phases of vacation emotions

 I'm going on vacation starting tomorrow night, and I realized there are three emotional phases I go through as I prepare for a trip. Really, these three phases are all happening at the same time, but the intensity level of each phase varies in this order:

1. Anticipation. The trip is booked, and I feel excited, nervous and mostly full of anticipation about the trip. What are some things I really want to do and see? What can I learn about the place before I go? Are there any foods that are specialties of the region that I would like to try? What's the weather like? What's the language? What should I pack to wear? I like to do some research before I book a trip, and after it's booked, I am in info-gathering mode. I will likely buy a travel book or two if I don't already have one, and I comb through Pinterest to see what other people have done that I might like to do also. I love the anticipation stage. It's fun.

2. Nerves/anxiety. It's nearly time to go on the trip. It's time to pack. Do I have all the things I want to bring? Do I have too much? Will it fit in my suitcase? Will my suitcase be too heavy? Will my suitcase join me at my destination? Is there gonna be room for souvenirs? Did I pack my charging cables? Don't forget the glasses! Should I take the bottle of melatonin? What's going to happen at work? Will MT and T be okay? Will the dogs miss me? Will they be okay? What if I eat so much pasta that my pants don't fit? Do I have enough money? As a person who can spiral into anxiety, this phase really sucks. It leads me to procrastinate, which in turn can lead to forgetting things and/or overpacking. I tried to mitigate this phase somewhat by putting together a pretty good list of things I wanted to pack. It's still a lot. It's almost 11:00 pm the night before I leave, and I am packed, but there's still a bit of work to do.

3. Excitement. Once I get to the airport, I usually get into vacation mode. I realize that I can probably find almost anything I need at my destination. I know that I am bringing more than I likely need of everything. I feel so happy that I get to go somewhere awesome with people I love and who "get" me. All the planning and research I've done is about to come into play, and my mind is open to soaking up all the vibes.

At this very moment, I feel like I'm turning the corner on the nerves/anxiety phase and slipping right into excitement. 

I won't be writing here for the next couple of weeks. When I get back, though, I will want to relive the memories here on the screen!