I type this in a hotel in Bangkok. We arrived yesterday for a holiday in Thailand and our trip from home to Bangkok hotel encapsulates how my worried mind works. Let me share my worries with you.
- I worried the cats would be too stressed going to the cattery (they weren't, and it's actually a 'Cat Hotel')
- I worried I had forgotten something that we needed to take (so far, I haven't identified anything, thanks to a much-used 'Things Nick Needs On Holiday' list that I prepared many years ago and covers every eventuality)
- I worried we would have too much to pack into our one big case (we didn't, although, as always, the shutting of the case was a challenge. Interestingly, no matter how much we put in the case, the weight always seems to be just under 25 kg)
- I worried we would be too late / too early getting to Heathrow (we weren't, thanks to a carefully planned route that gives us a stop at a services close to the M25 and 20 minutes drive to the airport)
- I worried there would be an accident on the motorway / our car would break down (there wasn't / it didn't)
- I worried our seats would be too near the toilets (they weren't. This worry has its origins in the time we flew to Sri Lanka and, two hours out of Heathrow, one of the toilets overflowed. It wasn't very pleasant and we had to turn back to the UK)
- I worried they wouldn't have a vegetarian meal for my wife (there wasn't. So a big 'hurrah!' that at least one of my worries came to fruition. Fortunately, my wife eats fish and they had a fish dish going spare)
- I worried I wouldn't sleep on the plane (I did. I always do. In fact, I had over 6 hours sleep)
- I worried we had forgotten to get a visa to enter Thailand (we didn't need a visa. I'd checked on the Thai travel website at least twice, so I knew this was the case. Still, you never know and it never hurts to worry about it)
- I worried there would be no one to meet us at Bangkok airport (there was. A nice man called Atu).
I know that sometimes my worries can seem irrational, but it's the way I am. I guess the ability to see the worst-case in a situation also helps in my world-saving role as a business continuity consultant. I've tried various techniques to address my worrying and only one thing seems to work. Tamezapam. I was given it earlier this year for some dental work I was having and it worked an absolute treat. Not only did it stop me worrying about my dental implant it also relaxed me enough to start flirting shamelessly with the dentist's receptionist (not a wise move when the dentist's receptionist is the dentist's wife).
PS. I only posted this after we successfully returned from holiday. I was worried that someone would read this post and, realising our house was empty, break in while we were away and steal all our valuables.
