Emetophobia in Ireland

My whole life I have dreamed of traveling to exotic locations. I wanted to sip Mai Tias and watch the sunset in Maui. I wanted to go skydiving in Mexico, I wanted it all.

I never did travel much. I was always afraid. You see I suffer from OCD, Panic Disorder, and emetophobia to name a few things. Traveling just wasn't something I thought I could mentally handle. I wanted to stay in my bubble. I wanted to be safe and secure in Ohio.

When I got married my husband nd I decided that for our honeymoon we would do a bed and breakfast tour of Ireland. This single decision was even scarier then the actual wedding itself. I wanted to go to Ireland, but I didn't want to leave Ohio. I was safe here. I had my doctors here if I had a panic attack, I could trust the water in America, I knew the foods were all fully pasteurized, I could go on and on about all of my reservations. I also hated the thought of traveling because what if I get car sick or even worse, plane sick. I hated the thought of being out of control.

So why did I agree to go to Ireland of all places, and not just Pennsylvania? I was marrying the most wonderful man, and I truly believed that he deserved a honeymoon that he would remember for the rest of his life. It was his honeymoon, and I wanted to make his dreams come true. We are both of Irish decent and had always talked about Ireland, where our grandparents came from.

I sucked it up, got through the wedding with ease, and was ready to embark on the journey of a lifetime. I have to say I did go a little overboard with the packing. In order to survive the trip I had to get my doctor to give me a prescription for motion sickness trans-dermal patches to stick behind my ear and some xanax. I also packed up ginger, cola syrup, and every other anti-emetic I could think of just in case something made me sick, I threw a bottle of Purrell in the bag for good measure, and off I went.

I made sure to put my trans-dermal patch behind my ear four hours before I boarded the plane. I was really nervous about the take off, I didn't think I could do this, but I held my new husbands hand, and off I went.

Surprisingly enough the flight to Ireland was not a problem. I survived it, heck, I slept through most of it. I didn't hear one person use the motion sickness bag, I was good to go.

The next challenge of the trip was the food. I normally would just refuse to eat anything for fear it would be contaminated, but it was a ten day trip, I couldn't live on the granola bars I had stored in my bag alone. So I challenged myself to try some local fare. I started with a scone and some Barry's Tea. The scone was fully cooked, so therefore I would be fine. The tea was tea and no one I know died from drinking tea. I survived my first meal in Ireland and thought to myself, heck I can do this traveling thing.

The next few days were wonderful. We spent the night in various bed and breakfasts throughout Dublin, Waterford, and Rosscarberry. I challenged myself each day to eat something different, to drink something different, and to conquer my fears. I even enjoyed a pint or two of Guinness. I took all my strength, and just did it. Wow, I though, if I had just done this years ago I would have cured myself of all my OCD issues long ago.

I did get carsick a few times. The roads of Ireland are very narrow and windy. I had a brief panic that I would get throw up from the motion sickness, but I survived it without that happening. We made it through the countryside from Dublin to Shannon in eight days without me getting ill once. Even better I had experienced everything from unpasteurized cheesy in Kilkenny to blood putting in County Cork. I ate foods I would have never dreamed of eating and survived.

On the plan ride home I was a bit queasy from the turbulence, but I did not get sick. I think that I convinced myself that I had made it in a foreign land for that long without illness, a little plane ride home wouldn't do it.

I got home, and had a new found bravery that I never thought I would have. I felt as if I conquered some of my OCD and emetophobia. I felt free. I felt like I could try to do anything. If I could fly to a foreign country without having one panic attack, then the sky was the limit.

I am happy to say that since that trip I flew with my husband to an even scarier, and dirtier location, Las Vegas, and survived the smut! There is no telling where I will be traveling to next, but I know I can do it. I no longer feel bound to Ohio!