Written by Ashley Lopez
Happy Friday beautiful! In seven days I leave to South America for a whole month: I’ll spend three weeks in Peru and one week in Colombia.
Hi everyone, welcome back to Ashley Spills. Ashley, here. You can check out my other posts here.
I am feeling really anxious about traveling and instead of feeling 100% excited, I’m like 70% there. The other 30% of me is like OHEMGEE, why am I leaving for a whole month? I am not getting good sleep, I am thinking worst-case scenarios, and I even wish I wasn’t leaving for so long! What the hell, Ashley. Get it together.
So why am I leaving for a whole month?
This trip is long overdue. For starters, I haven’t seen my grandparents since 2017. In addition, I will be getting some dental work done (not really the point of the trip at all, just thought I’d throw this in here lol) and helping my dad with a few things (I’ll be traveling with him from LAX). I’m adding Colombia to the mix because my best friend is going to meet me in Peru and we decided to take a trip to Colombia to visit her country. (She is Japanese Colombian American.) (My grandma and sister will also be joining us in Colombia.) Today I wanted to share some tips on how to combat travel anxiety (because goshdarnit, I need to combat this shittt for reallll).
Can’t wait to take my own pictures!
Tips to help avoid pre-travel jitters (travel anxiety)
- Talk to the people close to you
- Practice breathing exercises
- Think about all the fun you’re going to have
One of the reasons I’m so anxious about leaving is because my boyfriend will not be joining me. I know one month is not that long, but since I live with him I’m just so used to having him by my side. Co-dependency: Time to kick you in the ass. I know this sounds so silly and I’ve obviously gone on trips without him before, but I guess the longer our relationship gets, the more I want to be around him (I know, so cute jk [insert laughing emoji]). Anyways, of course my hunk of a boyfriend is being super supportive and keeps reminding me of all the cool things I’m going to do, to see, and that I’ll be with my grandparents. My mom and sister are also like girl. chill. the. f*ck. out. YOU GOT THIS, ASHLEY.
Recently I learned a breathing exercise that has helped me “reset” my thoughts and mind. Inhale for five seconds through your nose, hold for five seconds, exhale for five seconds through your mouth (5, 5, 5). I’ve been trying to do this when I’m feeling overwhelmed and at night for a minimum of five rounds. I don’t know the science behind this, but it definitely helps me slow down my thoughts.
I’ve been to Peru a few times now and I love it there. I love the people, culture, food, music, atmosphere—everything. As far as Colombia, I’ve never been there! We’ll be going to Cartagena de Indias and Medellín and I’m beyond eager to check out a whole new country and culture. So, as nervous as I am to go, I am so thrilled about all the fun I know I’m going to have. I keep reminding myself this.
Here’s the real travel anxiety tea
For so long I’ve fantasized about traveling the world for long periods of time, but when it comes down to it … apparently I’m a little baby about it. WHY?
- I actually really hate flying
- Routines are my strength
- I like a consistent space
So why am I all Dora The Explorer all the time? Because I wish I was that person. You know, deep down maybe I totally am. Fake it till you make it, right?
One time (just going to share one example) I was flying back from Las Vegas and the flight got delayed for “maintenance.” You can only imagine how much that freaked me out. I was crying so much on the plane. UGH. Any little shake just makes my head spiral.
Whenever I travel, I tend to lose my routine. But I guess I can think of this as a positive thing because I need to get out of my comfort zone every now and then. (Check out my blog post on turning a negative into a positive here.)
The little home I live in is my sanctuary and I absolutely love it. I like my space. This may fall into the category above because it’s routine-ish. Now is the time to appreciate other spaces.
Am I going to sleep at all this next week?
I really freaking hope so. Wish me luck.
While I hope you don’t get travel anxiety, if you do, I hope the tips I shared help you in some way and now you know that you are not alone. It’s normal to get nervous before a trip. If you do get pre-travel jitters, comment below!
Thanks for reading, xo.
PS: I cannot wait to share my trip with you!
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