Travel Anxiety

This is my first time here writing, but not my first time reading. I wanted to write about my travel anxiety and see if others have felt the same and how they coped in the short term. I am actually going on vacation tonight. Every time I go on vacation, I have a decent amount of anxiety about the unknown and sleeping away from home. It has always been a part of what happens to me, and I have been able to overcome it many times, with a few exceptions. I even lived at college and was away from home for many nights in a row at a time.. Needless to say, in the past year, my anxiety has gotten worse, leading to worse travel anxiety. I panic days before which leads to nausea and sleepless nights leading up to when I leave. I get myself so sick that my stomach has a continuous dull, achy pain and I'm exhausted. I can't shut my brain off. I fear getting to the location and panicking so badly that I won't be able to sleep, eat, and will cry on the floor until I find a way to return home. This has NEVER actually happened. Yes, I've gotten somewhat anxious when I arrive places, but, I calm down not long after. Of course, when I look back on times that I've been okay, I only focus on the few points in which I've gotten anxious throughout my time there.

I'm so nervous to go away tonight even thought it is only for two full days (three nights if you count sleeping there tonight). I can't calm myself down. There have been a few moments of clarity in which I feel okay, but, they only last a short time. I am going with my closest friends, so I don't see what the problem is. I wish I wasn't like this. The only thing that has made me feel better is planning an "escape plan." I have looked up trains and return flights throughout my time there that would be accessible incase I am so overwhelmed by being there. This makes me feel better knowing I am not held hostage. I feel if I can get through small points of being there then I can say, "well, the next flight is at 7:30, can you make it until then?" "Are you feeling okay at 7:30? Can you make it until 11:00?" And so on. This is no way to live and enjoy myself, but it does help. I know I need further help for this and know I've been putting it off for way too long and ignoring it until the time comes when I plan another event where I am going away. (Yes, I am a planner despite all of this, which I know makes not a whole lot of sense.) If anyone has any short term calming advice or information on any over-the-counter calming medicines I can take, any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.