Beyoncé Pad Thai

I’ve been getting some serious cold feet syndrome over the past few weeks. The more people come to me with encouragement and advice, the more I hear the sentence, “You’re gonna have soo much fun,” the scarier Europe seems to become. What if I burn out after four days? What if I hate every minute of it and the whole thing was a big waste? What if I don’t meet a single soul and spend the entire five weeks huddled in the hostel bathrooms sobbing?

One of the funniest moments to date in a great show called The Mindy Project – created by The Office’s Mindy Kaling – happens after Mindy receives advice from a friend of hers to create for herself an inner warrior to whom she can appeal when she’s faced with a difficult situation.

In the middle of a trying moment, the camera zooms in on Mindy as she whispers to herself...

I choked with laughter, not only because of the great warrior name but also because the impulse to imagine a stronger, better me has always been present, and seeing yourself reflected back at you in such a hilarious fashion is always delightful.

I don't have a warrior name yet, but maybe I should figure one out before I leave for Europe.