I’m going away tomorrow, 3 days in Spain & 7 in France on a wine tasting trip and I’m going with 60 other complete strangers. I was excited about it when I first heard about it, but now that I’m going I’m nervous about being away from home for so long and what to expect. Am I being overly cautious or just plain stupid?
You’ll love it! Just remember that you shouldn’t swallow.
It’s perfectly natural to feel a little nervous on the eve of a trip when you’re not certain how things will go - happens to me all the time. With that many people, there are bound to be good people and people who rub you the wrong way. The most important thing, though, is to take a deep breath, relax, and focus on the good stuff that’s happening around you. You will have a blast, I’m sure. (Especially on a wine-tasting trip - I’m so envious! 
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Don’t fear the complete strangers. It’s the French people you should worry about.
And for Buddha’s sake, don’t attempt to speak French if you are not fluent. They will scoff at you and flick cigarette butts at your face.
Have a great trip!
A whole week in France?
What’d you do to make your boss hate you so?
Sounds like a great business to be in. Relax and enjoy yourself. Are you leaving a spouse and kids behind? I guess that could cause some guilt and anxiety. Just write and/or call home everyday and let them know how much you miss them. And re qts’s advice not to swallow: it’s okay to swallow some toward the end. It’ll help with your anxiousness and besides it might be a good way to make new friends.
Make sure you find time to try something other than the wine! In particular, discover why people scoff at American espressos
You’ll love Spain. It’s a wonderful place…I wish I could live there. It still holds some of its original culture and slower pace of life, but also has a lot of modern technology, like the best of both worlds. Where there are you going?
Yeah, I’m leaving them all to fend for themselves. They are all quite capable, I’m not worried about that, but I have never been away from them for so long. I plan on calling and hopefully find a way to email them too.
Thanks for all the encouragement everyone! 
I’m going to Jerez de la Frontera in Andulasia, “the sherry capital of the world!”. Not that keen on sherry though :rolleyes:
A Spanish friend of mine has encouraged me for a while to visit Andalusia in the Spring. He says it’s the best time to see one of the most beautiful places in the world. And even though he’s not from that region he says it’s the most beautiful part of Spain.
I’m not a huge fan of sherries, either, but you never know. Sometimes having the best product of a region, in it’s native environment, really enhances the experience. Find out how the Spaniards take their sherry and which ones they consider best and follow their lead. You may love it, but if not at least you can say you’ve tried it as it should be done.
You’re really making a lot of us jealous, you know. Just have a great experience and come back with a full report.