I have just come back from a 6 day trip to NYC, visiting a college friend whom I have not seen in over a year. They say that people often find trips a let down because they somehow expect to leave themselves and their troubles behind but soon discover that this cannot be done. I’m pleased to say that, although indeed this could not be done, it did not make my trip a let down.
There was lots of fodder for OCD on this trip. For example, I got a really bad cold but, despite feeling miserable, I managed not to assume that it was H1N1. That is a massive victory and it actually made me feel good. I had one panic attack but managed to deal with it without even letting on. I just said I was shaking because of the cold and told myself repeatedly that I probably wasn’t experiencing a fatal allergic reaction. When I got back home last night, however, I gave in to the urge to ask my mum whether she thought my swollen ankle might be Deep Vein Thrombosis. Oh well.
My conclusion is, though, that being outside of your normal safe environment for a short while can help you find ways to cope on your own. (This is not to be confused with spending months abroad and isolated, however, which has caused me to experience at least two major crises.) Anyway, more importantly, I saw my friend, I went up the Empire State Building, I sang in a sushi bar, I visited the Museum of Fashion, I ate a lot of American breakfasts and I had a blast.
