Part of my issues in managing anxiety is in the world of travel these days. I had to learn how to keep my stress down but systems like the TSA are always a surprise. I create my own system to be ready for these things but they do not always work. An example is how I pack my luggage and have pre-check. I decided to go back to the class room and take a voyage on the Semester at Sea. I was with over 500 students, faculty and staff, and I was part of a group called life long learners. I had to manage many things outside my daily routine.
I learned how to be a part of a community and gain support. I tried different foods. I made adjustments mentally and physically to ensure my success. I asked questions about the customs process before each port to ease my anxiety around any surprises. I was allowed to have a meeting before each port with the field trip department to ease my anxiety about things that were not normal like having to get up at 3 am to make a flight to a destination. I found that getting the information individually before our large and noisy pre-port meeting helped me remain calm and less anxious. Some of the topics covered in the pre-port meetings was safety and health issues of each country. The community offered accommodation to me after I explained that I was dealing with Asberger’s. At the beginning of the trip I was pretty anxious that some people thought I was high maintenance. I attended classes, ate meals with a variety of people each day, enjoyed my interaction with the ship staff. In the past I may have gotten off the ship early, but I completed the full program.
Here’s some interesting facts:
The ship traveled 22,721 nautical miles or 26,245 land miles
3000 pounds of peanut butter were consumed
1440 pounds of jam were consumed
The trip lasted 102 days
We covered 4 continents and 14 countries
We passed through 18 time changes
The ship had 2 captains
2.5 million gallons of fresh water were consumed
812,000 gallons of fuel was used
Countries visited:
Hawaii, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, India, Myanmar, Mauritius, Chana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Morocco, Portugal, Germany