Eeekkkk!

So I leave.  In about 2 weeks.  So soon that I have realized that I won't be able to use my Sunday-only ski pass before I go due to the holidays..... What have I done to prepare?  More or less nothing. Other than make a lot of lists that are not as organized as I feel they should be.  I have been told by those more practiced in long trips that I need to start packing now.  However, I will probably end up packing as I always do; minutes before I need to get my ass out the door and on the road.  Hopefully it will work as well as it usually does for me and I will not forget anything that will cause me to lose large amounts of time or money.  I also have secured a hotel.  for three nights after I get in.  So I won't be completely stranded when I show up in America... However, where I am staying in Haines prior to the ferry departing is still up in the air.  I don't know when I will be arriving in Haines exactly since I am trying to taking the potential for Alaskan weather to complicate things into account. 

At the moment, I am emotionally stressed out about the whole thing. I go from being super excited to completely terrified, oh fuck, what have I gotten myself into this time, I don't have a clue what I am doing or how to do it, help me! And then I think about how most of the things I have done have started that way. Almost all notable things in my life follow a similar process:

Step 1:  Anna comes up with some idea or becomes involved in some project

Step 2:  Anna is excited about the potential and possibilities of the afore mentioned idea/project/etc.

Step 3:  Anna starts trying to plan and organize and becomes quickly overwhelmed.  Realizes she has no experience whatsoever in the endeavor and has a lot of second thoughts about things. 

Step 4: (optional depending on the situation)  Anna somehow commits herself to the task so she can not back out.  Somewhere she knows she will be a better and cooler person for doing it.

Step 5:   Anna experiences emotional stress as Steps 2 and 3 repeat in a cyclical manner.

Step 6:  Anna finally has no choice but to execute the plan.  She is almost always thrilled with the results and realizes how dumb and unnecessary steps 3 and 5 are.

Right now I am at step 5.  So the good news is, step 6 is almost here and I can again feel dumb for the worrying.  The great part is that the more I do these things, the less intensely I experience steps 3 and 5.  At a certain point, I just have to trust myself that I am more than capable of doing these things.

So there are my thoughts on my first big solo trip.  Stay tuned for pictures of my packing.... whenever that happens!