Things That Terrify Me About This Trip

As excited as I am about three months in Europe, there is a lot of things that are terrifying me to the core. I wake up from nightmares every single night since I’ve made the decision. This is a good thing. As it is, there are a lot of things in life that scare me or make me uncomfortable. But what scares us, what makes us tremble, what gives us nightmares, are often the activities in life that are most memorable and worth pursuing. So cheers to being scared!

• Flying – I rationally know flying is safer than driving, but cars never shake due to turbulence. Being on planes for three months including a leg from Seattle to Reyjavik looms large. (Tip: Most planes crash during the first 30 seconds of landing or taking off. I count to 30 when we take off, and know statistically that we aren’t as likely to crash)
• Being mugged or robbed – My mom got pick pocketed twice in London. That I can handle. Having someone pull a weapon on me? Not so much. No one enjoys a good stab wound on vacation. Even Diane Von Furstenberg got robbed outside of the Thyssen Museum.
• Staying in hostels - This entitled American is not used to sharing, especially rooms with strangers. Including men.
• Meeting new people - I’m introverted by nature, so the thought of meeting nonstop strangers for three months is terrifying for me.
• Being unemployed when I get back – Spending a lot of money to be faced with no job makes me sick to my stomach.
• Eating by myself - I hate eating by myself in sit-down restaurants. Hate it. HATE it. I imagine I’ll be eating at the bar a lot.
• Carrying everything I need in ONE bag – I need to be able to pack a bag that I can comfortably carry on my shoulders for three months for clothes I can wear at pubs, the Opera and general sightseeing while in climates ranging from freezing (Iceland) to warm (Barcelona). In ONE bag.

What scares you?