Saturday, May 1 : "Reisefever"

Many years ago when I was first traveling Polish friends clued me in about "reisefever".  That's the overall jitters and diffuse anxiety (as the psych people might term it) that you get before setting off on a trip.  I still am afflicted by this and I know the small indicators:  I forget pin numbers, misplace things, walk out of the house without my keys---and many other signs of distraction I'd rather not write on the blog.  Anyway, after years of traveling and now regular trips to Los Angeles, "reisefever" still comes over me.  What to do?  Drink less coffee, sit and meditate or stand on my head (this is yoga), stare at the wall and get a grip.  Funny thing is, once I'm in an airport or on the plane, a kind of calmness sets in.  There's nothing more than can be done anyway---the airplane gods rule.   Watching people is very interesting.  And I do a lot of thinking---revise courses mentally, think through difficult parts of the next conference paper, consider what I might do in the next couple of years of life, and realize with gratitude how wonderful it is to have places to go.