While everyone else is scurrying about buying greens to trim their staircases and mantles, wrapping gifts to put under the tree, and baking fruit cakes, I’ve been busy tending to my list for my upcoming travel around the world amidst the Christmas chaos.

Being Jewish eliminates a lot of the ‘have-to’s’, and our holiday has already come and gone freeing me up to focus on this life-changer I’ll be embarking on.

I’ve gotten my vaccines to prevent yellow fever and 4 other scary conditions I could be exposed to. Today, I brought in my prescriptions to prevent malaria, seasickness and other potential stomach disorders. These could be daunting activities, but the excitement I have for this expedition outweighs the chatter that says, “Are you really going to do this?”

Not once have I questioned the wisdom of going, even though the precautions can be daunting. This morning I read Martha Beck’s monthly column in O Magazine entitled, Are You There, Gut? It’s Me, Martha – a tongue in cheek reference to my daughters’ beloved Judy Blume book of a similar title. The article’s descriptor says,

Martha Beck reveals how to quiet what you’re thinking long enough to figure out what you actually feel.

My favorite phrase in the piece about trusting our guts is that we must

quiet the clamor of social training.

I can hear my gremlins in the background, “You’re doing what? Is it safe? You don’t know anybody! Isn’t that a long time to be gone? Aren’t you afraid? What if, what if, what if???”

I’ve trained myself to quiet those voices and listen most closely to my heart and soul, which are screaming at the top of their lungs (well, if they had ’em): GO! GO! GO!

A friend I just told about the trip asked me what I’m going to do after it. I smiled to myself knowing that after this trip…I’ll know. But, right now, I have no idea.