Hi bblove,

I like a lot of what others have written on here. I’m guessing you have heard “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” for just as long as I have (though me perhaps longer, since I am guessing I am older than you).

I can say I can definitely empathize with you. And I can say that anxiety has a funny way of feeding itself and being a spiral. That is not to say there is something wrong with you–just that you might have started losing confidence, which itself led to more events / behaviors that eat away even more confidence.

If you really want to travel, I would say go for it. Leaving friends/family can definitely be scary, but think about other risks you’ve taken in your life.

I like a quote from the coach John Wooden, something like “If you’re not making any mistakes, you’re not really doing anything.” I think any normal, healthy person goes through hard times, feels nervous, and has doubt (regardless of age, college major, etc.)

All the best to you