Anticipatory Anxiety Pre-London/Paris/Brussels

So it’s only six more sleeps till I head off on my grand adventure to London, Paris and Brussels. In London I’ll be meeting, for the first time, my UK publishers of “We Are All Made of Molecules,” the folks at Andersen Press. I’ve loved talking to all of them via e mail and I can’t wait to meet them in person! In Paris I’ll be playing happy tourist as well as meeting with my French publishers, the lovely women at Helium. I’ve had the pleasure of hanging out with these gals before and I’m so excited to be seeing them again! I’ll be doing some school visits while I’m there – avec translator, thank heavens. I can speak some French, but not enough to have an in-depth conversation.

During my stay I will be training to Brussels for two days/one night. “The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen” – or “Le Journal Malgre lui de Henry K. Larsen” – has been nominated for the Prix Farniente and I’m going to be doing some school visits in Brussels and Liege as well as an evening event at a bookstore.

Now, you have to understand: In a million years I never thought I’d be saying things like “My UK publisher,” or “My French publisher,” or “one of my titles nominated for literary prize in Belgium.” Does any author imagine this stuff happening? Maybe some do. I think though, for most of us, we just plod along – and when good things like this happen, we pinch ourselves, HARD.

Here’s the thing: I love travel. I really do. But I also get anticipatory anxiety, especially if I’m heading off alone. (Husband is joining me in Paris because he has a trade show there – it’s actually how we got this whole ball rolling, because I said I was coming with him). I spend inordinate amounts of time in my head the week before I leave, thinking about things like “What if someone with verbal diarrhea sits beside me on the plane?” or “What if I get a manspreader next to me?” Then I move onto things like, “How will I find my way around London?” “What if I step out into traffic because I forget to look the right way?” (This happened to my hair stylist once. He stepped out and got hit by a cyclist. Guess who was riding the bike: MADONNA. I’d be okay if that happened, as long as I wasn’t badly hurt – and my stylist wasn’t).

And then there’s “What do I bring to wear??” I’m away for 11 days with no real access to laundry, unless I use exorbitant hotel services which I’m way too frugal to do. Yes, I could find a laundromat, but do I want to spend my time doing that? No. So I have to fit enough clothes for 11 days into my suitcase. This is causing me tremendous anticipatory anxiety. It’s ridiculous – especially because of course the best solution is, I can buy a few new things in London and Paris!!

I know I write about champagne problems. Nice problems to have. But I wonder if I’m alone in this pre-travel anxiety. I suspect the answer is no. Oh, and of course, there are certain people I miss when I go away. And two felines.

Emily Bronte (under chin) and Erwin Schrodinger (on legs)

That was my lame attempt to show you what my afternoon nap time looks like on my office couch. You can just see Emily’s fur. She tucks herself under my chin. Erwin takes up most of my legs. It’s a cozy, cozy nap. Hmm, maybe I’ll write a post about the wonders of naps one of these days!

I will try to write from “on the road” and tell you of some of my adventures!