Mixed Feelings

Getting closer to our trip to Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland, I have found that I am no exception to a common phenomenon among travelers: mixed feelings during the couple of weeks before departure.

On the one hand, I am extremely excited to finally see some of the Celtic lands. I have been interested in Celtic culture since childhood and will now experience firsthand the people, scenery and culture of the region. Even though three weeks is a short time to visit any location, I hope and expect to gain knowledge and insight that I could not have gained by staying at home. Travel is an eye-opener and a mind-opener, and having remained in the United States since one high school trip abroad, I am ready to venture out again.

All of this excitement, though, remains tempered by what I will call nervousness, for lack of a better word. I have packed my passport, cash and long underwear; but I'm afraid of losing my luggage or forgetting something important. I have spent much of my break with family, friends and pets; but I know it will be hard to leave them. I feel prepared to meet new people and learn new things; but I am afraid of being culturally unprepared, perhaps offending someone or even getting pick-pocketed.

With such a new experience, I guess these feelings are natural. In fact, they even seem to thrive off of one another. From where, indeed, does excitement come if not a degree of uncertainty and danger? Having reflected and gained this realization, I feel a little more prepared to travel and meet with both enjoyment and challenge. These two things, at least, I am certain to find.