Hodgepodge 81/365 - Travel Jitters

I don't have fear of flying. I usually book my travel with plenty of leeway in case I end up in an epic travel nightmare—though that has never happened so far. The worst that's happened is my luggage was delayed, once, in England, for three days, which was a nuisance, but I was in England and enjoying myself, and I'm somewhat used to wearing the same clothes for days on end anyway. (Shhh, don't tell anyone.) The last time I flew, my luggage arrived home fourteen hours after I did, which didn't matter: I was home. Once I was bounced from a flight—based on the price of my ticket, so so much for shopping for the cheapest fare—but they put me up in a hotel and I was home bright and early the next day: no big deal. So no: none of those truly awful experiences of sitting on the tarmac for five hours before being told the plane wasn't going and having to spend the night in the airport with snow hampering flights the next day etc. (knock wood). But even there: I'm more or less ready. I know it can happen.

The point being, travel doesn't really make me anxious. And yet: the night before a trip, I invariably sleep lousy. All the worries that might flit through my head during my time away seem to cluster in one bunch and peck at me. And at the moment, I've got a full plate full of deadlines and commitments that I'm stepping away from for a few days, so: plenty to worry about.

So . . . I'm trying to remember to breathe. Practice my meditation techniques. Which, if you've been wondering since my post on November 30, when I swore I was going to sit every day through the end of the year—well, best intentions . . . But I'm resolving to give it another shot. Not until I get back from Washington, but then? Sure. It takes time and commitment to develop a new habit. I guess I need to practice the commitment part harder. The sitting part isn't difficult.

In any case, in about three hours I'm heading out, stopping for some cash, picking up my friend Thelma, and then: off to SFO, where we'll avail ourselves of long-term parking. Four o'clock flight, and assuming all goes well, we'll be at Dulles at midnight. The adventure begins.

And now: to pack! And then, no doubt, fidget until it's time to go.