holiday

Sophie · Joined: 19 Jul 2007 Posts: 180 Location: London

I'm going on holiday with my boyfriend soon. I haven't been on holiday for years and I'm really nervous. We're going to stay near where his parents live and I'm going to meet them for the first time. We're going on the train which is really scary and I'm worried about the food of course but I'm also scared generally, being in a new place, meeting new people. We're going to Wales and I'd like to practise my Welsh but I always stammer when I speak Welsh and sometimes I put in words from other languages. And then there's the whole hotel, 1 bed thing (we have slept in the same bed but my parents are always in the next room) and the fact I might panic and refuse to get on the train.

But it could be worse, my boyfriend is so lovely and supportive and he's made sure I won't be expected to eat in a restaurant and we're going to do really nice things like go to a football match and a concert and go for walks and take photographs, and see the sea which I haven't seen for years.

_________________
Sophie xx

char1402 · Joined: 30 Oct 2008 Posts: 353 Location: kent

hi sophie
just take one step at a time - you CAN do this - dont let the phobia beat you!!
Try not to think of the negatives like what if...... just concentrate on the positives.
If you think about t - you can move about on the train, and it will stop regularly so if needs be you can get off - take magazines to read and a book, also an mp3 player, and some boiled sweets.
I am sure you will cope just fine and have a good time. Jst relax, and dont look into things too much.
hope you have a lovely time
xxxxx
_________________
my fear is like a book, its had the start, the middle and now i am coming to the end.
I just can't wait until i can put the book down for good.......

Sophie · Joined: 19 Jul 2007 Posts: 180 Location: London

aww thank you! Those are really good ideas and I'll try the boiled sweets, I'm going to take mints and Gaviscon tablets but boiled sweets will make a nice change and they might be better than mints. Sometimes travelling makes me feel hot, even in winter so they'll help me not to worry about getting dehydrated. I can't read on trains but my boyfriend says he'll read to me or see if he can download a talking book for me. And he says if it is bumpy he can always sit on my lap so I won't bounce so much!

Thank you for your encouragement and ideas xxxx
_________________
Sophie xx

MissJet · Joined: 08 Dec 2008 Posts: 51 Location: England

Sophie, is your fear of the train related to travel sickness? Because I have never heard of anyone getting travel sick on a train??? Please correct me if I am wrong but I'm sure trains are great for those who suffer motion sickness, because unlike a boat your loving in one direction rather than 2 dirctions (like on a boat, you move side to side, up and down etc and on a plane this also happens during turbulence) I've never heard of this on a train? x

Sophie · Joined: 19 Jul 2007 Posts: 180 Location: London

Hi MissJet, yes I am referring to travel s*ness but it's also partly because I have something wrong with my stomach so anything that jolts it even like running or dancing makes me feel s* sometimes. Trains can make me feel VERY s*. I get jolted all over the place, mostly from side to side, sometimes up and down, on some trains I'm actually thrown into the air, only a milimetre or something but it definitely happens. I've never heard of people being travel s* on trains but I know of people who need a forward-facing seat like me. I wear travel s*ness bands and I take medication for my stomach which does reduce the n*. It's worse if I leave off the bands or don't take the medication so it does seem to be a combination of the 2 things.
_________________
Sophie xx

MissJet · Joined: 08 Dec 2008 Posts: 51 Location: England

You seem like you have planned well and are in control in regards to the train journey :) And your boyfriend sounds like a star too. You'll have a wonderful holiday. Don't let this phobia beat you x

Tink · Joined: 22 Sep 2008 Posts: 366 Location: Wales, UK

Hey Sophie,

I live in Wales - I hope you get nice weather when you are up here!
I am very similar about the travelling and staying in a hotel. I'm glad your boyfriend is so supportive, you will get through it and I hope enjoy your holiday. I always take an emergency kit, like you said mints etc. Also for the train I always take a couple of plastic bags with me. I don't know how you feel about it? For some people it makes them feel worse but for me I like to know that if I am going to be s* then I can be in something and won't make a mess etc.

My welsh is GCSE level so not fab but if you want some tips I can try and help you out!

Lotti x

Sophie · Joined: 19 Jul 2007 Posts: 180 Location: London

Thank you, it's really kind of you. My boyfriend speaks Welsh so he's helping me with a lot of things and he's great but it's good to have someone else I can ask, I'm always very interested in grammar when I learn languages and I'm fascinated by mutations but my boyfriend doesn't like talking about grammar, he has trouble putting it all into words. He's actually teaching me from a book, he wants to follow the book and not teach me any extras.

But I was wondering, what causes words to mutate? I know it happens after possessive pronouns and I've seen it with words like bedroom, gwely becomes wely but I'm not sure why, is that because the 'bed' part has become an adjective?

Don't worry if you don't know, I didn't know anything about English grammar til I studied it for A Level and not all languages seem to have a strong grammar component for GCSE, I did a lot of German grammar but very little in my other languages.

Yes I always take plastic bags with me too, they make me feel more secure. Partly because of the reasons you say, if I was s* on my clothes I'd probably take them all off! Also I'm a bit superstitious about it and I kind of feel it's more likely to happen if I don't have a bag.

Thank you again for all your help and support xxxxxx
_________________
Sophie xx

Sophie · Joined: 19 Jul 2007 Posts: 180 Location: London

I'm not going. I still feel like I've got a b*, my parents had it for over a week and I've had it for less than that. I've cancelled the hotel and I'm applying for a refund on the train ticket. I'm really disappointed because I was looking forward to it. My boyfriend is disappointed too but he understands, he says he'll take me some other time when I'm feeling better and the weather is better. He's going to go without me because he really wants to see his parents (he can stay with them now I'm not going) but I don't mind really. He goes to see them every month or 2 anyway. But I still feel quite sad and so does he. :cry:
_________________
Sophie xx

weechatterbox · Joined: 03 Feb 2007 Posts: 1397 Location: Scotland

awh sophie...i'm so sorry you've had to cancel.
but i completely understand. when you are already apprehensive about not feeling well, you'd possibly only panic more and not enjoy yourself. i guess that's how i'd be.
don't beat yourself up about it.....it's just one of these things.
keep practising that welsh for next time! :-)
stay strong honey.
how you feeling now?
xxxxx