The Unedited Truth About Travel Anxiety

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Travel is scary, nerve racking and gives you ridiculous amounts of anxiety.

These are probably not the first thoughts that come to mind when you think of travelling the world. We are completely saturated by images of beautiful people standing in front of beautiful sites in beautiful places. Despite the carefree looks on their faces, I can assure you each and every person who’s journeyed overseas has felt some sort of travel anxiety.

I consider myself pretty adventurous and I’ve been lucky enough to have the opportunity to travel before. Despite this, as I was in the uber on the way to the airport with my mum this morning, I didn’t quite know if I needed to sing with joy or vomit. It’s a fine line really and I’m still not quite sure what I needed to do, but I’m glad I didn’t throw up in the taxi.

I think it’s only natural to feel this way. I’m heading off on a 6+ month adventure. Goodbye friends, family and the familiar. It’s even harder when the past few weeks with your friends and family have been among the most exciting and fun weeks you’ve had in a long time. I guess this is what travel is all about, creating new memories and forever expanding your ‘familiar.’

Plus, the date completely crept up on me. How the hell is it actually the end of June?! I booked my adventure at the end of January. Way back when June felt like a life time away. I guess I’ve always had something to distract me and keep me busy. Uni does a pretty good job at that. I finished uni at the beginning of June and suddenly, I’m packing my bag and heading to the airport about to vomit in an uber.

That anxiety is kind of put to rest when your mum is snapping photos of you on her phone as you wave goodbye in departures…. (I love it). But then you’re wacked in the face with passport checks and security screenings. Next thing you know you’re barefoot and trying not to look suspicious so you end up looking suspicious AF. Then you need to find your gate and my god it’s easy to get lost in an airport

That anxiety is then put to rest again when you see two of your friends at the airport both embarking on their own adventures as well. Both equally as nervous, excited and ahhhhhhhh as you.

Then there’s the added anxiety of landing somewhere completely unknown – somewhere like Manila for example. Having no idea how to get to your hotel, how much money you should be spending on taxis plus the added nerves of reading horror stories of tourists experiences in Manila, it’s pretty damn overwhelming.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely not complaining. I’m just sharing that feeling of butterflies/needing to throw up that we all experience at some point in our travel journeys. It’s totally normal and totally real.

Just remember to take a deep breath, have a drink of water and think about all the amazing things you’re about to experience. It will totally be worth it. That travel anxiety will quickly be replaced with travel excitement and adventure.