Big trips can lead to big anxiety. It is funny how an event can sit on your calendar for months. It seems so far off in the future, that even small steps of preparation seem silly. And then one day you wake up and realize: I leave in a couple of days! Preparation is the key. If you do the little things that seem silly in the weeks before the trip, then the momentary panic of the impending date can subside into calm confidence. Of course, if the preparation has not been done, panic must be replaced with a cold hard focus on the tasks at hand. I think most of us would prefer the former. And so it is with much of life. Planning, preparation, focus usually leads to positive outcomes. Last minute scrambling is often not quite as successful. Well I am off on a big trip. How did I do between the two alternatives listed above? I have a foot planted firmly in both camps! Bon Voyage!