I always suffer from travel anxiety. It doesn't matter whether I am leaving loved ones behind or taking them with me, going overseas or only 100 miles, staying a few days or several weeks, driving, flying, or taking the train.

The anxiety tends to hit a day or so before I leave and always disappears the moment I'm on my way. I find it helps to inform my husband and others close to me when I am feeling the anxiety, because forwarning helps avoid the unpleasant scenes that my jittery nerves tend to provoke. It also helps to set in my mind the bare minimum I need to take with me to survive the trip -- eg., passport, credit card, tickets -- as well as the bare minimum necessary to assure that all will be well at home while I'm away -- eg, dog sitter. I also find that the more I know in advance about my destination the better.

The thing that helps the most, though, is knowing that no matter how anxious I am before leaving, I never feel anxious while I am away.

Landra from Columbia County, NY