Please talk some sense into me - Holiday panic

[IWasNotExpectingThis]

Hi all. NC. I really was not expecting to feel like this at all. I will soon turn 50 and as my celebration, we're taking a family road trip to the USA and Canada for 3 weeks. We leave tomorrow. As the date has been approaching, I have been feeling more and more panicky inside. I don't want to tell my DH as he's been working extremely hard to make this happen. Right now I feel like I just want to be in my home and sleep in my bed and feel safe in familiar surroundings.

I have not done any research on the destinations, I have not started packing, and I am really struggling to accept that I won't be in my home for the next three weeks. For some ridiculous reason this makes me feel really vulnerable.

I do realise this is so stupid, it's not like we're going to some third world country, DC are 13 and 16 so not little babies at all!!!

Is this pre-menopause panicking? Anything I can get off the pharmacy today that will help me tomorrow?

Thank you for starting this thread OP. We are off to Canada in two weeks time and I have been in panic mode for the best part of the last fortnight! I felt so foolish until this morning when I read your post - I haven't spoken to DH about it because I didn't think he would 'get it' - he does lots of business travel and is very laid back about the whole process. In the meantime, my free floating anxiety has been latching on to one thing and then another - will we get to the airport on time/will we lose our luggage/will we have an accident in our hire car - the list is endless. I thought I was the only one who ever felt like this, but it's good to know that there are others out there in the same boat (although that doesn't really help you).
I've found everyone's comments very reassuring and calming. So this morning I have been to our local health food store and bought some Passiflora tablets. I might be imagining it but they seem to have already helped with the anxiety. I'm also going to get my act together with planning the packing and will also take a deep breath and speak to DH - hopefully he will take me seriously and help me rather than making fun of my worries.
I hope you have a wonderful holiday OP.

People in Quebec will almost all speak English - I have terrible French and I survived there. In Toronto everyone speaks English.

Quebec is so unbelievably beautiful - you will love it. Toronto is lively and fun, and has lots of amazing multicultural foods and districts.

If you're on the east coast are you then coming down to New England? Several of us on MN live there and can happily answer your questions.

We did a 2.5 week journey around the west US earlier this summer and I didn't actually start looking forward to it until we were there. It was an amazing trip.

Remember to allow downtime for everyone. It's OK to spend some afternoons just hanging around your AirBNB doing basically nothing. It's a holiday.

We going in a couple of weeks too and I feel the same! It's taken so much time to book - flights, Airbnbs, car hire, insurances, car parking, driving licences, Estas, that I just keep thinking something will go wrong! And we are going with our 4 adult children, so you feel responsible for them having a good time too! I'm only going on all inclusives from now on.

This might help - 4 for sleep, 1 for anxiety
www.chemist-4-u.com/kalms-night-50-tablets?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIncjLieT94wIVTLTtCh3A-AABEAQYASABEgIZYfD_BwE