I woke up this morning from a travel-themed "sleep disturbance": I dreamed I left my daybag on the ground with cash and credit cards in it (which would not happen, neck wallet) and it had been ransacked and cards had been cut up.
I am leaving for Italy in three days. I know it's stress-related. I never experience serious stress while traveling (except for making those 5am trains).
My question is, does anyone else experience this? It happens to me (different scenarios) shortly before every trip.
Not to the point of nightmares, but even now, after all of these trips, I cannot sleep through until the alarm goes off the morning of a departure. If the alarm is set for 6:00, I walk up at 5:15 panicked. I set one the other day for 4:30 because we had a 5:40 train out of Dijon, and I was awake at 4:00, fearful the alarm would fail.
May you have two nights of good sleep prior to departure. See you Thursday!!!
I'm like Laurel. It doesn't matter how much sleep - or lack of it - on the night before a big trip, I always wake up at least an hour before the alarm.
It happens when I switch from late shift into early shift, at work, too.
Not a nightmare, but anxiety inducing - more than a few times I have had dreams about leaving for the airport for a trip, getting delayed (usually a flat tire on the highway), just making it and then realizing my passport is at home! This happens a few times a year, whether close to travelling or not.
A recurring nightmare I have involves either loosing are breaking my eyeglasses while overseas. It's never ever happened, and I always pack a backup pair. I'm Mr. Magoo without my glasses so it would literally be a nightmare if I didn't have my specks:)
I too have travel anxiety dreams, whether or not I'm heading anywhere in the near future. One recurring dream is where I am trying to shuttle my 96-year-old grandmother through an airport to a flight that leaves in 10 minutes, all the while getting thwarted by security, 3-1-1 bags, shopping opportunities, and a very slow moving granny. The funny thing is in real life she was a tour guide, so she would never try to slow us down that way!
Buon viaggio!
I have dreams where I am in the middle of doing something when I suddenly realize that my plane to England will be leaving in three hours and I forgot to pack. I am also nowhere near the airport or my clothes....
My underlying anxiety before a trip is not a fear of flying, or being able to handle myself, or terrorism. My fear is that something will happen to make me cancel my trip! And that's probably what your fear is. Recognize and accept this. Laugh off the dreams. Have a good time.
As I dwell on the West Coast of the States my flight to Europe is an overnighter by choice. Thus I'm lucky to get a good nights sleep the night before and with the help of chemistry generate a fairly good amount of shut eye on the flight. No dreams, no nightmares. Just happy to be leaving LA.
Just remembered a nightmare come true for an American soccer fan during World Cup germany 2006. According to press reports the guy checked into a hotel in Berlin then left to attend a match. After the match concluded he could not remember the name of the hotel, its address, or the name of the metro station he used. The only detail he could remember was a car dealership across the street. For over 24 hours the Berlin police drove him to every dealership in the city until he recognized his hotel. Poor guy.....hope he doesn't have recurring dreams over that one!
I recently had the forgotten passport dream. I was at the airport and realized that my bag with my passport was still at home.
In real life, I'm more likely to become caught in traffic or get lost in the way to the airport.
Thanks to all of you, I just packed an extra pair of glasses, the prescription for the glasses, re-checked my passport, and moved my pick up time up by a half hour. But I'm still a jumble of nerves that I'll forget something irreplaceable. You aren't alone Zoe.
Thanks to all - I have these dreams before just about every trip, it's something to check off my "to do" list at this point. I am laughing at being in such good company!
Ahhh, Zoe. Had a recent dream where I was traveling with Steamer Trunks!! I think that was possibly related to watching Three Coins in the Fountain recently rather than travel plans, but it could be both, lol.
Bets...laughing at your plans. Yes, I seem to have fewer odd dreams if I use my check lists AND if I think of something during the night, need to get up and write that thought down.
->off to put Moleskine journal in the pile...not leaving until August!
My dream is similar to Joci's, and I have it again and again. It's some variation on I'm supposed to be flying to Moscow in 45 minutes, don't have the right clothes to pack for the cold weather there (I'm inevitably coming from some completely opposite climate into the dead of Russian winter), have too much to pack, haven't accounted for how I'm making the trip to the airport, etc. etc. It's rather frequent and always includes 1) not enough time left (should already have been at the airport before I've even started thinking of packing) and 2) don't have the right things to pack.
In real life, I've only been to Moscow once -- in the summer!!! With plenty of warning to pack for my six-week visit, and got my visa months in advance, etc. etc. (It's not always Moscow in my dream, but often enough, it is.)
CL's dream could be a video game, I can see it now - rather than Mario Brothers, it's Slow Granny making her way through the terminal!!
I love Bets's response and how the various dreams have spurred you to action!!
Often dream I need to get to the airport and though my flight is in an hour, I am still trying to pack. Hoping against hope they hold the plane for me. I can't find anything, we get stuck in a traffic jam, any number of things seem to impede my progress. Stressful!
I don't have dreams because I don't sleep much about two months prior to a trip. I don't sleep because I keep packing and repacking in my mind and it is 2 AM in the morning!
I only have travel dreams upon returning home from my trip; without fail I dream that I am trying to go somewhere on the metro, or find a train, or just being in a foreign city and looking for something. I have to get out of bed and walk around to reassure myself I am indeed in my own bed at home. More than once I have mistaken my cats for strangers, dreaming they are strays who somehow got into my room. After about 4 nights the dreams stop.
Oh Zoe... I think you are just stressed out because we did not have our annual RS meeting this spring!!! I am sorry we could not get together, but I had a few things going on as soon as I got home from Fl. so I did not call. If I could do it I would come meet you in Italy this summer, but, not going to happen, short of a miracle. We will have to get together as soon as you come home, otherwise it will be winter, and the snow, etc....
Have a wonderful time and we will catch up when you get home.
Thanks, Terry. I look forward to it!
Inside joke: I try to avoid driving in the snow. I can drive in a category 2 hurricane, however.
Keep us posted... what's new on your agenda this year???
Yes, Zoe, tell, tell, tell.
And when are you coming home? Will you be back by early August . . . I hope
Terry and Chani, I feel like I am hijacking my own thread!
I will keep in touch and post some trip reports while I am on the road (mostly Le Marche, Lazio, Basilicata, Campania, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto this trip).
Any Freudians out there?
For years I used to have a bad dreams about leaving home, getting to the airport and not having my ticket. Kind of like the dream of being back in school (but for some reason forgot to get dressed that day). I think establishing a packing routine where I know my important stuff is packed has helped get rid of that anxiety and thus the dreams.
My most recent off-the-wall travel dream was that I'd arrive in Ireland and, for some unknown reason, everyone would recognize me as the rightful king and I wouldn't have to go back to my regular job. This one hasn't come true either; not sure why?
Now Brad, this is definitely the best one yet!!
My dream is usually that I am at the destination but it's my last day there and I haven't gotten anything done that I wanted to do/see.
Zoe, by now you may be on your way. Happy trails.
Waiting for my ride - today is Take Your Suitcase To Work Day. Slept like a baby last night.
Thanks to all for participating in this thread, and many restful nights to you!
You're leaving from work? I'd be having dreams about having a client on the phone that won't let me end the conversation, and the shuttle is leaving!
Karen, I don't answer the phone for the last hour. Seriously, I teach at a small college, the students are gone already, so it's not that hard.
No one else dreams about arriving at the airport only to find they forgot to finish getting dressed? Missing those britches?
Ms. Jo,
That dream is usually work-related! Like before a major presentation or meeting. But thanks for reminding me!
Hi Zoe,
Years ago, my DH was flying to the East Coast, so I drove him to the airport & when we were saying our goodbyes, he realized that he didn't have his wallet on him!
Fortunately, our son was home, so I asked him to get his dad's wallet, drive toward the airport, & I'd meet him halfway.
My husband was so relieved when I arrived with his wallet & he was able to make his flight... Because we always leave extra early... Just in case...
Have a wonderful trip!!!
I've had that dream that Joci's had, about finding out I have a flight in mere hours and not being prepared, and knowing I can't possibly drive to the airport in time.
I've had it for years. It dates back to the time I missed a flight in 1987. I am having not only weird nightmares right now, but stomach issues right before my trip.
I've also had the reoccurring nightmare for years that we'd over sleep, and miss our flight.
We'll it happened for real on the trip we just returned from. Our first three nights were in Barcelona. Both my husband and I were sick with sinus infections before we left home so had been on antibiotics for about 5 days. On night two I hardly got any sleep so we had afternoon naps, and night three we went to bed at 10pm, thinking that with a 9:25 am train, we'd wake up early enough and didn't need to set the alarm. (we normally are up early). WRONG. I woke up, looked at the clock and said "Holy Crap- it's 8:45, WE Have to GO". And we weren't packed. So we got dressed, managed to cram things in our suit cases and backpacks, checked out and paid for hotel, walked a block to catch a cab going the right direction, which only took 10 minutes to the train station, and were standing on the tracks with 5 minutes to spare. Worst case, we would have had to buy more expensive tickets, and gotten a 50% credit on tickets for the train. But we laughed about my "wake up" line the whole trip.
Lesson learned, always set the alarm when you have a definitive time to be someplace. Or maybe two alarms.
I used to dream a lot about trains and being late for departure. It is supposed to be pretty common: http://psychiclibrary.com/beyondBooks/being-late-dreams/
However, in my case those dreams didn't affect the quality of my sleep or how well-rested I was. It is probably just temporary, and doesn't require any medication like zalepton - https://rxed.eu/en/s/Sonata/ - to fix it. If you are traveling, getting a lot of new information, getting tired - you will fall soundly asleep in a new location.
When my passport was expired I kept dreaming that I had won a trip to Europe, but that I had to leave that day. I finally renewed my passport and the dream went away! Other than that I don't have travel nightmares. I only have the work ones. When I was a marketing manager responsible for presenting a list of books twice a year to over 100 sales reps I used to consistently have what I called sales meeting stress dreams. They varied from not finding the room, to not having the presentation, to wearing embarrassing clothes. Happily, I am now the sales manager and my dreams have shifted!
Pam
I've been home from my Europe adventure for about six weeks. Now I'm dreaming about the next trip - literally! I had a dream I was in spinning class with my 19 yo daughter and my bike wasn't working properly so I grabbed my stuff and walked outside - outside into Slovenia! I wish!
