1. I will get to Vermont residency in two weeks and not be able to write.
2. I will get to Vermont and not know what to write.
3. I will spend all this time and money for a trip that will yield nothing.
4. I will be laughed at by the other artists for being a fraud because I haven’t been published yet.
5. I won’t be able to handle the cold. Watching TITANIC last night didn’t help.
6. I will sleep too much.
7. I will meet too many interesting people and be distracted.
8. I won’t make any friends.
9. I won’t be able to remember everyone’s names. This will be embarrassing and stressful every time I leave my room.
10. I won’t leave my room.
11. The bed will be uncomfortable (though this might cancel out #6).
12. I will worry about the puppy staying three miles down the road with a surrogate mom, and not be able to write.
13. I will not have enough warm clothing or footwear, causing me to have to go shopping instead of writing.
14. Whatever I do manage to write will be garbage that I could have just as easily written at home.
15. My computer will stop working (I’m considering taking two).
16. I will get lost in the woods and no one will notice because they’re artists on residency.
17. I will get lost in the woods and be found by people who live in the woods.
18. I will get lost in the woods and not be found by anyone and freeze to death.
19. I will not be able to handle driving in the snow and ice.
20. I won’t like the food.
Riding Bitch 
December 26, 2012 at 7:16 pm
Ultimate fear: you will go, write, be welcomed, make friends, have great time . . . be successful.
December 26, 2012 at 9:15 pm
You might be right.
December 26, 2012 at 10:55 pm
It’ll all work out 🙂 Trust me. The night before I flew out to South Korea for a year of teaching, I was petrified. I was like, “What if I get lost? What if I don’t like the food? What if I get sick? What if I’m a terrible teacher? What if I don’t make any friends? What if the job is too hard? What if the apartment is awful?” But I went, and it rocked (most of the time!), and I’m glad I went through with it. So chin up, pack warm, and have a blast 🙂
December 27, 2012 at 12:26 am
Thanks so much for the support and comment. I’m sure it will work out, just had to vent a little. That’s awesome that you had such a great experience in SK!
December 27, 2012 at 12:33 am
Vent away! Here: pretend I’m Vermont. Ready? GO!
December 27, 2012 at 12:58 am
🙂
December 26, 2012 at 11:04 pm
I predict you will get to Vermont safely, other writer residents will be feeling the same as you, you will make friends and each laugh about being afraid, The residents of Vermont are friendly so if you get lost in the woods they will take you in and keep you warm and fed. You should probably bring 3x the amount of warm clothing you think you will need. You are heading for New England and we are expecting multiple storms this week through next weekend. I also predict you will love Vermont and want to come back over the summer/fall and explore the roads on your motorcycle.
December 27, 2012 at 12:31 am
That’s funny about coming back to ride on the motorcycle, I was thinking the same thing. And yes, I will be packing extra warmly. Thanks for the support and advice!