Of course everyone has heard and/or experiences the post-holiday blues, but what about the pre-holiday blues?

Is it odd that the last few days before a big trip for me are full of angst and worry rather than excitement? First I start to question what am I doing … questions like ‘is it the right time?’ … ‘should I be spending all this money on one trip?’  Of course I always manage to push these aside as there is never a right time … actually, no, any time is the right time and you can’t take your money with you when you go so why not enjoy it!

Then there is all the goodbyes … work, friends, family. It never gets easier but thankfully with the wifi of today, keeping in touch is so much easier than when I startd travelling!

Something else that never gets easier for me is packing!

For those of us who love to travel, packing is a necessary evil and despite the many trips I have done – ranging from long weekends to a year, it is probably still my least favourite part of the travel experience.  My biggest issue is always the desire to take too much – there are just so many items I will not be able to live without, or so my pre-trip mind thinks.

Packing for me can take weeks and despite my dislike for it, it is of course an important part of any pre trip routine.   A week out from the trip and I find myself with a room full of piles – everything I would like to take finds its way to in to one of these piles! Next up the cull beginnings – how many t-shirts do I really need? What do I need to take when my 4 months will see me travel from the tropical Caribbean to winter in the Andes?

I’ve watched all the YouTube views and read all the tips – rolling vs folding, using packing cubes, take 50% of what you start with out … I just can’t bring myself to do it 😔 and so I leave home again with a bag that is way too full in the hope that I don’t want to buy any souvenirs and believing that it will magically get lighter and emptier.

Once on the road, it always takes a few days to get my travel head back on – it all seems so uncomfortable at first, but I guess one of the reasons we travel is to get out of our comfort zone isn’t it?

Four days in and I have reached Bogotá and am ready to truly hit the road.  My basic Spanish has managed to get me food and water and get transport to/from my hostels and I am sure there are only great things to come.

Not a bad way to shake the off those pre-holiday blues (c/o the Koru Lounge)