This is the second installment of “50 Ways to Die in the Grand Canyon” (2001). It’s about me getting past my challenging fear of travel.
     It’s a work in progress, and I’m pleased to say that the last two days were another good success story in  overcoming my travel fears. Some of you are well aware of my difficulty traveling (even though I used to absolutely love to travel!). When I say “difficulty” traveling, that’s really an understatement. It has become, over the years, a full-fledged phobia of mine.
     This Thursday, B. and I drove to Columbus for a doctor appointment. The weather was fair, and in a moment of spontaneity I suggested we continue driving that day to her parents’ house in Pennsylvania to surprise them. (I missed their 50th Wedding Anniversary the previous weekend because I was sick. I probably made myself sick to get out of traveling.) The drive was good, and B. is incredibly patient with me: She’ll read aloud to me and tell jokes and engage in conversation to take my mind off my anxieties. There were certainly moments of anxieties that popped up during the two days in Pennsylvania, but I was able to (mostly) keep them in check.
      Goals for the future: Road trips to see friends in Pittsburgh, family in Ann Arbor, and see friends in Seattle, WA. (Perhaps one day I’ll even fly over the ocean again!)