Separation Anxiety

I was talking with a friend recently about how to pack as light as possible for trips and how hard it can be to take only what you really need.  She said that in spite of her good intentions, she experiences terrible last minute separation anxiety and feels compelled to over pack.  I laughed out loud and totally understood what she was talking about.  That is exactly how I feel the night before a trip, especially if it is overseas, I just never thought about it that way!  Somehow the thought of being so far away from home and not having my “stuff” causes a totally irrational fear!  

It is very interesting to me that I would suffer so much with this as I am a true believer in travel light and keep it simple.  But something comes over me at the last minute and I start rethinking my entire packing strategy, everything from what clothes to bring to what bag to put them in, truly unbelievable and very stressful.  That is the reason I do an initial pre-pack a few days ahead of time, just so I can rework every aspect before making my final decision the night before.  I can tell you that it does help minimize the anxiety but does not eliminate it.   Now mind you, I do not travel into the wilderness where there will be no resources to get whatever I need and I have never, ever been anywhere that I could not get something essential but still the dread looms.  What I have to do is bring it down to the absolute basics - if I have my passport, wallet and phone I will be fine and I know I will have a wonderful trip!