I’ve moved to another country on a working holiday visa. I’ve only been here for two weeks, already found a job, made a few friends and looking for a place to stay. Sounds pretty successful, however I’m feeling massively stressed about a few things:

•Am I wasting my time working? My plan was to stay settled before I start moving around, but I feel like work will only stress me out more when I’m supposed to be on holiday

•Finding a place to rent here is a nightmare. Everywhere is expensive, very few good places going and often people don’t respond back to messages to rent

•Am I prepared to backpack? I don’t have the right gear (small backpack and gym bag, just enough to carry everything)

•A lot of what ifs:

What if I don’t have a place to stay for the night while backpacking?

What if I can’t find food/water?

Where will I wash?

What if I get ill?

What if I don’t meet people along the way? (I have some emotional problems that make it hard to connect with people)

What if I am exhausted and don’t enjoy it?

What if my phone runs out of battery?

Can I carry all my stuff?

All this stuff is really bothering me. I thought that by pushing myself out of my comfort zone I would be less anxious, but this is the most anxious I’ve felt in years. I don’t want to return home as it was part of the reason why I left.

Some practical advice for travelling, and anxiety advice, would be deeply appreciated :)