Pre-departure Thoughts: Those Daunting What Ifs

With 2 days to go before I leave for Australia, I've reached the point in my preparations where there isn't much to do except wait. My backpack is packed, the last of my summer earnings have been deposited in the bank, and I've visited with as many friends and family as possible. In this period of waiting, my mind wanders to the uncertainties of this upcoming expedition, and I can feel the self doubt and fear creeping in, tainting my thoughts. 

When I tell people that I'm going to Australia, a common reaction I receive is "You're so brave." Funny, because I feel anything but brave right now. The truth is, I'm terrified. I mean...

What if I can't find a job right away?

What if I don't make friends?

What if I run out of money?

What if i get homesick?

What if I can't afford to come home?

What if I get attacked by a shark?

or a venomous snake?

or crocodile?

or box jellyfish?

or spider?

What if this is all just a waste of time and money?

What if this is harming my CV rather than enhancing it?

What if there are no tacos in Australia?

What if I'm packing too much?

What if I'm not packing enough?

There are 101 ways for things to go awry on my backpacking trip. But for every doubtful what if, there is a counter one. The eternal optimist in me says that for all the reasons why things shouldn't work out, I have to believe in the one reason why it will. I mean...

What if this is the most amazing travel experience of my young adult life, I meet a ton of new friends, and discover what I want to do with my life ?

Silly, I know. But, haters gonna hate dreamers gonna dream.

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"She must find a boat and sail in it. No guarantee of shore.
Only a conviction that what she wanted could exist,
if she dared to find it." -Jeanette Winterson