Travel anxiety. I always. I always think I’ll forget everything, and miss the bus, and miss the plane, and miss the other plane, and leave all my stuff on the plane, and get sucked into the engines.
Nov 28 2012
Every time
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PZ Myers
November 28, 2012 at 3:21 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
You definitely need to travel more. See you in Ottawa!
Ophelia Benson
November 28, 2012 at 3:29 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
But if I traveled more I would spend that much more time being anxious about forgetting everything!
Mind you, I’m exaggerating just a tiny bit for humorous effect. (Humorous to me, that is.)
See you in Ottawa.
AJ Milne
November 28, 2012 at 3:39 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Oh, it’s going to be fine…
I mean, sure, the packing/losing bags thing, that’s travel, and that’s airlines. What can ya do… And sure, then there’s all the paranoid security and the lousy food and the dreadful legroom and the screaming babies and the cranky idiot who figures harassing the crew will somehow get him to his estranged kid’s birthday on time despite the blizzard and then there’s the recycled air and being cut off from the net because avionics and… umm… Is any of this helping?
(/Anyway, it’s been ages since I’ve actually been sucked through the engines.)
Benjamin O'Donnell
November 28, 2012 at 3:53 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I’ve had a couple of jobs in the past that required me to travel pretty regularly – one required me to keep two residences in two cities!
My solution was checklists. I had a list on my organiser of everything to pack and everything to check before leaving home. It was basically a list of all the things I had forgotten (or worried about forgetting) in the past. And I checked it religiously every time I went on a trip.
Ophelia Benson
November 28, 2012 at 3:55 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I know. It always is fine. That’s part of the joke – I get anxious despite knowing perfectly well it’s going to be fine.
I mean there was that guy with the foot, but I don’t have aisle seats so that can’t happen this time. And there was that horrendous experience with LAX followed by the flight from hell, but in the end I had so much fun writing a post about it that it all became worthwhile.
Acolyte of Sagan
November 28, 2012 at 4:33 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Ahhh, but now you’re an FTBully there’s nothing and nobody would dare disrupt your travel plans. Just remember to wear your FTBully badge at all times.
AJ Milne
November 28, 2012 at 4:33 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
… So there’s even a happy medium in travel badness. Too uneventful equals no material…
Seriously, good flight. If it winds up blogworthy, may it be for something whimsical/entertaining. Charming eccentrics buying martinis all ’round or something.
Ophelia Benson
November 28, 2012 at 4:38 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
That only happens to Rebecca, and besides, martinis [shudder]…
I’ll take a checklist and a Bullies Badge and a No Picking Your Feet sign and all will go swimmingly.
Nicole Introvert
November 28, 2012 at 4:47 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I have a fear of losing my wallet when I travel, so you can find me, every few minutes, checking to see if it is still in my “personal item” bag.
michaeld
November 28, 2012 at 4:50 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I’m always worried I’ll be late so I often end up 2-3 hours early…
bernardhurley
November 28, 2012 at 5:12 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I’ve done all these things, except one, some time in my life.
Gordon Willis
November 28, 2012 at 5:19 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I know. It always is fine. That’s part of the joke – I get anxious despite knowing perfectly well it’s going to be fine.
Aargh! but what if it isn’t fine? Aargh! But what if it ALL GOES WRONG!!! Aargh! but what if life is horrible and unpredictable and bad and just AWFUL and and and Aargh Aargh Aargh!!!! There, said it all. So now you can just relax. Have a nice trip.
I’m always worried I’ll be late so I often end up 2-3 hours early…
See what happens? Now, one…two…three: AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGH! There, you see? the sun is still shining, or the moon is still shining, or the rain is still raining, or the hurricane is still blowing the roof off your house, so the world is still just the way it always was. That’s better, isn’t it? Relax! Have a nice day. xxxG
Eamon Knight
November 28, 2012 at 6:03 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I know what you mean. I start to relax when I’m sitting in the departure lounge. I don’t really relax until we’re wheels-up.
See you…oh god in a mere 22 hours holy shit this thing is really happening…..
*I’ll* relax Sunday night.
AJ Milne
November 28, 2012 at 8:11 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
… erm… I dunno, then… I’d go back to the mint julep thing, but I think it’s done, now… So, I guess, just: good flight, then.
Eamon, this thing is gonna be awesome. You’ve all done good. So I really hope all of you manage to enjoy it yourselves, too, somehow.
Kakudji
November 28, 2012 at 8:13 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Then whyof even go to theof en videoof? And herof voice isn’tof even as highof as operaof singers, And Ifof you don’t like itof then go? back toof alcoholic Garyof Moore music
Acolyte of Sagan
November 29, 2012 at 3:14 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
In the words of the great Manuel (It’s OK, he’s from Barcelona)…QUE?
Ophelia Benson
November 29, 2012 at 7:07 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Well here I am a few yards from the gate, with an hour and a quarter before departure, so I can relax now.
Only 9 hours now Eamon. Oh noez!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
latsot
November 29, 2012 at 8:11 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Well, me too…. now.
So thanks for that.
latsot
November 29, 2012 at 8:19 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I don’t travel so much now, but a few years ago I was out of the country at least once a month. Our admin manager made all the arrangements. It got so I obeyed her commands without question. She told me which airport to turn up to when and I often genuinely didn’t know where I was flying to until I checked the tickets at the airport.
That was when I learned that the trick to successful air travel is complete passivity. Whatever you do, don’t notice anything around you or try to make any decisions and you’ll be fine.