You’re gonna stress over stupid things when traveling: That’s normal.

It’s finally happening…. My month-long backpacking trip is finally here! 

I should be excited, but instead, I’m freaking out! 

I can’t check in online because my middle name is on my passport, but not on my booking. Oh no! “What if they won’t allow me to check in??” “What if they have a strict requirement that my middle name is on my boarding pass”… “Maybe they won’t be able to fix it”…. 

This is laughable in hindsight considering that checking in at the counter went really well & the agent was nice enough to assign me a seat in a row to myself. No middle name on my ticket? No problem. 

Even with how much I overreacted, I can understand why I jumped to the worst possible conclusion. International travel is already stressful…. It’s taxing on the body (hello, jet lag!). It’s nerve-wrecking (what if I get denied entry at immigration? What if I have to go into a room for several hours for questioning? What if I booked something wrong? Did I overlook an entry requirement?). Also, international travel is a massive step out of anyone’s comfort zone. The fear of the unknown is something we all face at times. 34 countries later, I still get nervous right before a trip and I still have brief moments of panic over the little things. 

I’m not going to shame myself over my little freak out over my middle name not on a ticket… It doesn’t help that there’s a ton of conflicting info on the internet, and even conflicting info from the airlines themselves. It’s understandable that I may worry over the uncertainty. 

But, like most of my worries, they were completely unnecessary. I called the airline in the morning (that wasn’t even necessary) and I had no issues whatsoever with boarding. 

The stress and uncertainty of international travel (hell, travel in general) can cause us to have some very irrational thoughts… but you have to keep telling yourself, “this is gonna work out.” 

That wasn’t my only mishap or worry before I got to the airport. I had some Thai currency printed beforehand and I couldn’t find the envelope of cash up until about 20 minutes before leaving. I was constantly packing & moving things around- it could’ve gone anywhere. Fortunately, I found it right on time. 

Also, I learned about 10 minutes before I arrived at the airport that my ESim will not work because of Verizon’s 60-day ESim block (which is VERY stupid, by the way). I freaked out for a sec since I already purchased my esim, but after emailing Holafly kindly requesting a refund and calling Verizon, I received a full refund while finding an international data plan that didn’t completely annihilate my bank account. Everything is figure-outable. Most problems are really insignificant. You can still worry about it, but make sure you laugh it off once it’s resolved.

As I’m on the plane en route to Tokyo for a 24 hour layover (what a wonderful place for a long layover, by the way), I feel calm, excited, and ready for this month-long backpacking trip. I know I can handle any inconveniences that come my way. I’ve done this many times before, I’ve got this. 

Even experienced travelers worry over stupid shit. Worrying isn’t just for the amateur traveler! I continue to go on each trip feeling very scared… but I continue to do it anyway. 

That’s what counts.