After all these years I still have some fears when landing in a new continent and starting over with a new leg of my trip. In my early years there were many things I feared that experience and practice make routine now. Re/building my bike and other gear so it can go the next year or two used to seem stressful. What if I forgot something important that I can not buy in a developing country? Now getting the bike like new seems routine, if not tedious and expensive. I also do not plan nearly as much as I used to. As long as I land in the right time of year for my location (good weather) I can whip a trip together with a guide book and internet connection pretty quickly. I also do not worry about all the unknowns and 'what ifs' because I have seen most difficulties that can arise before or have confidence that I can solve anything else on the fly.
So, what is left?

As unexciting as this sounds, my pretrip jitters focus on getting my bike and gear in my hotel room in one piece. I have a bit of a phobia and hate flying with a bike and camping gear. A lot can go wrong. Lost or stolen luggage at the air port and a bike damaged from baggage systems to name a few. I am stressed out from the time I start cramming my bike in the box until I open it at the other end and don't see bent wheels or lost quick releases. Really, I can only relax after a fully loaded test ride.

This is a funny thing for me to be concerned about because I have had not much trouble in my travels besides a dented frame once in Bangkok and a stolen Swiss army knife in Buenos Aires.

I fly around a fair amount and I know sooner or later my luck will run out.