Work-in-progress: packing, unpacking, repeating

All my things laid out for an upcoming trip. I've already done two "trial runs" of packing the backpack to see if everything will fit, if I can trim anything, if I'm forgettting anything. Today I packed for the third time. Will it be the last? (Tune in next time to find out.)

I've had people ask me how I can travel to new places on my own, or be amazed by the fact that I have. It seems that many folks have anxiety about something bad happening when they travel, or just not being able to figure things out on their own. I have confidence that those things will work out - I generally don't feel worried about my plane crashing, or missing a plane or train, or getting lost, or running into weirdos, or getting mugged or pickpocketed, or other strange things that can happen when traveling.

For me, it's the preparation that makes me anxious. What if I forget to do something before I leave? What if I forget to bring something with me, or I pack too much and my pack is a pain in the ass to carry around? When I verbalize these worries, they sound so silly, I'm not even concerned. I think the worries that really get me are the ones I can't name, those extremely vague but terrible what ifs circling round and round in my head. If I could speak them or write them down, would be shockingly horrible, or would the naming just negate them, make them no longer a concern?
But I can't name them. I know they'll all go away as soon as the trip begins, but for now all I can do is pack, unpack and repeat.