The Worrywart in Me

Gate A5.  I'm through security and my usual two hours early. My boarding pass is tucked away neatly into my passport. The old bladder is drained. My bags are checked and tagged with SYD, and in the next hour I will be lifting off to LA and then on to the dreaded, long-ass, 15+ flight across the Pacific to Sydney. I am all set to fly away, but my nerves are still on fire.

I am not a worrier at heart.  Usually, I can handle stress extremely well.  I don't fret over situations or find myself constantly imagining the worst in life.  Actually, I'm more prone to be Pollyannish about most everything and always figure everything happens for a reason.  But for THIS trip because of its historical and critical nature and utter significance to my life's story has brought the worrywart out in me.

Since my dream hatched so long ago and for the majority of my entire life, I've carried with me a concern that perhaps this big day in my life - the day I actualize my ambitious childhood goal and complete my continental quest- might never arrive.  Not because I would ever give up or forget my passion for completing this mission, but instead I feared all the outside forces that might prevent me from getting to Gate A5 today.

As time neared in this past year, the "concern" (OK, it was developing into a slight worry by then) had intensified as this day of departure grew closer.  Six weeks ago, I became afflicted with a horrendous case of sciatica that knocked me off my feet (literally) and kept me from being able to walk or even stand for about 3 days.  Once that cleared, I came down with a case of near-pneumonia that sent me to the clinic and threatened to take me down. I both cases, I thought of Australia and worried that something terribly ill-timed would interfere with my travel plans. 

I've been super dooper pooper scooper careful lately, especially this past month, to avoid any calamity that might try to stand in my way of today's flight. I've been driving extra carefully. Once I even considered buckling up in my car using both the driver and passenger side seat belts somehow just for extra protection, but that wasn't possible.  Let's say I haven't been playing on the railroad tracks as much lately. I've been washing my hands more, praying more and hoping against hope that I would be blessed to see this day arrive. But now as the flight crew is boarding the plane that will fly me off to the end of my rainbow to the Land of Aus in only moments, I think I am FINALLY in the clear! Still, I had better find some wood to knock on....

I will be off the radar for the next few days.  I leave on a Friday, and arrive in Sydney on a Sunday, so I am losing an entire day in the air. How bizarre!  And on the way back, I leave on a Wednesday and arrive in LA the same day but three hours earlier than when I left! NOTE:  Please remember to use the blog archive as you follow my travels (it's at the bottom of your screen) to keep the entries in order.

"All passengers for United Flight 6527, please prepare for boarding."  Ok, folks, this is it! Away I go into this time warp of a flight.