My EPIC World Adventure: EPIC Fears

Pushing my limits and getting out of my element were plans I had when booking my upcoming world adventure. As the weeks turn to days and the days eventually turn to hours, I can’t help but to realize the true anxiety I have about going overseas for the first time ever and doing it all alone.

I recently found myself waking up from a deep sleep to a panic attack about going to Singapore. The fear of the unknown and unexpected was running through my head. The idea of where I would go if I just wanted some “me time” since I’d be staying in a hostel and what would I do if I absolutely hated Singapore and wanted to come home immediately?

I have very bad teeth and often get excruciatingly painful toothaches. What do I do if that happens while I’m overseas? Another thing that comes to mind is about finances. While I have budgeted a certain amount of money based upon research and have more money than what I’ve budgeted for, what happens if I don’t have enough money with me?

There are so many questions and so many what-ifs that keep my anxiety elevated. I think my worst fears are getting stuck in Singapore or going broke until the time I am scheduled to come home.

I experienced this same fear about a week or so about going on my cruise, but it wasn’t as nerve-wracking or as intense as the fear I am feeling towards going to Singapore. Something else that is rather odd about my anxiety and fear of going to Singapore is that I don’t feel the intensity of my fear and anxiety when I think about going to Malaysia.

It’s crossed my mind to cancel my trip overseas except for my cruise and trip to NYC, but then I wouldn’t be breaking out of my box and getting out of my comfort zone. I have found out my airline tickets to Singapore are non-refundable, so if I did chicken out, I would be out well over $1,100.

My feelings aren’t uncommon from what people tell me, but that’s not as comforting to know as I thought. When it all comes down to it, I will be going on this trip and I will have a great time learning of the different cultures that make up the eastern part of the world. Only a few days left before I embark on my EPIC World adventure!

My EPIC World Adventure: Introduction

Traveling has always been an interest of mine. My adventures have always been limited to where my parents have wanted to go or visit family and friends in other states. Last year, I traveled back to Missouri for my annual camping trip and to visit family and friends. In the end, I traveled nearly 2,600 miles by myself in a car. Spending time on the road by myself and exploring parts of Missouri on my own made me realize I enjoyed doing what I wanted on my own schedule, and quite frankly, I enjoyed the solitude. On my 29th birthday, I promised myself I would leave the country before I turned 30. With that promise I made to myself, my first transpacific trip and first solo cruise was born.

Deciding on the destinations and a cruise ship were definitely not easy. A timeline, budget and where I was going seemed to change just as quickly as I settled on them. A transatlantic cruise on board the Celebrity Equinox in April eventually changed to an eastern Caribbean cruise on the Norwegian Epic in March. A trip around Europe turned into a tour of Singapore and Malaysia. It only took four months and tons of research to finalize my vacation.

While I call my upcoming adventure a vacation, my intentions are far greater than just that. My cruise to St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Nassau, Bahamas is an ice breaker into solo travel and a time to unwind from the pressures of everyday life. Singapore is a trip to learn more about a different culture and to gain more enlightenment into religion – particularly in Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity in an eastern country. The entire vacation is about experiencing the world by myself and getting me out of my own comfort zone.

I’m planning to do things I wouldn’t normally consider doing, such as zip lining in St. Thomas and eating adventurous foods in Singapore to going to a remote island in Malaysia where there are no roads and the population is just over 400 people. I may be pushed to the limits at times, but I will learn a significant amount about other cultures and myself. I look forward to my EPIC world adventure and can’t wait to share my experiences with others.