Preparation

My mother likes to refer to my state of being before any lengthy international trip as "catatonia."

I lose all responsiveness, facial expression (- even the famed "Hiestand Grimace" which, if you've ever seen any of our extended family portraits, is so pervasive, we'll probably all wrinkle the same way too) or sense of humor.

Personally, I prefer to think of it as maxing out my processor. Figuring out the delicate balance of preparedness vs. over-packed paranoia is no easy task. For example, reading guide books is a double-edged sword. Some of it is useful, good ol'fashioned advice, but most of it is constant, rattling of bones until you have that, "Gosh, I'm sure glad I bought this guidebook!" moment that makes the $23.99 price tag worthwhile.

However, the general rule is that you never really know until you get there.