Hodophobia, probably an alien word to you. Well not to me and if you don't mind giving me a few seconds of your time I'm gonna tell you what it means.
You probably might not know or maybe this is your first time to hear that there are people scared of traveling.
It sounds new to you. Like alien stuff. Maybe because you love traveling. Looking out the window and taking in the beautiful scenery around gives you a "trip- orgasm". And yes this is Nigeria where snacks are hawked on the highway so you get to buy whatever you want and eat to make the journey more interesting for you.
Well to some people, some people like me it isn't so. To some of us we're scared of traveling.
I am scared of traveling.
The idea that I am going to be in a moving box speeding and covering long distances in hours or minutes gives me shivers. Makes me nauseous and sometimes wanting to throw up. And these has made me not to travel for years now after my relocation to Uyo which actually took the grace of God
Some friends actually classify mine as being claustrophobic but I can stay in a crowded room but a crowded moving bus, train etc is a NO for me.
Okay, let me further let you in on why HODOPHOBIA is and also my recent experience traveling to Enugu.
What is Hodophobia?
Hodophobia is the clinical term for an intense feeling of dread toward traveling. It is sometimes referred to as "trip-a fear." It frequently manifests as a greater sense of dread toward a certain mode of transportation, like airplanes. In addition, fear can develop in response to highly anticipated events and disasters that instill anxiety in society at large. Hodophobia causes unease, but there are ways to manage and get rid of it.
What can the possible causes of homophobia be?
There are two main factors that can increase apprehension about traveling.
A previous unfavorable experience while traveling is usually the cause of the dread of moving. You experience higher physical and intimate pressure as a result of remembering the event. For instance, the thought of perhaps using the same mode of transportation as the negative event will cause you to experience fits of anxiety and tension.
The feeling of dread toward movement can also occur after a significant global event attracts widespread attention. One type of situation that causes people to fear traveling is pandemic episodes.
These are the most common causes of hodophobia, however there are other reasons why your worry about traveling could develop. Recognizing the primary cause of your fear, such as a terrible experience, is usually helpful so you may concentrate more easily on your care and therapy.
My journey to Enugu
Having told you more about Hodophobia now let me tell you about my trip to Enugu.
After years of hardly traveling far distances. On Monday 15 August, I made another brave move to Enugu for an important appointment. On a regular basis I would have found a way to decline but because of how important the appointment was I braved up and decided to take the trip.
So on Monday 15 August, as early as 7am I was at the park in Uyo to board a bus. After the purchase of tickets and settling in inside the car, I made sure to get a window seat Incase I needed to throw up. And ofcourse like a soldier headed for war I had my bitter kola too. You probably might have heard the myth that it stops you from throwing up when you suck on its juices.
We didn't really leave on time as passengers heading to Enugu were few.
8:15am everything was set and we were on our way to Enugu. Enugu happens to be a 3hr journey from Uyo. Getting to the highway where the need for speed is required our driver sped up. And there it came the urge to throw up, the nauseousness. I quickly threw the kola in my mouth and sucked on it's juices. Of Course it relieved me a bit.
One thing I noticed on our way was the increased number of police checkpoints, which I attributed to the increased insecurity in the country and oh, I did see the coded handshakes between drivers and our armed officers (you know what I mean). I slept through the rest of the journey. Trust me it helped scale the moment.
We arrived at the beautiful city of Enugu at 11;25am. Just like a typical Igbo Land the residents were all busy. I noticed Enugu had a lot of red soil and huge mountains and huge humans who are friendly too.
Also I visited the popular independence layout, abakpa, holy ghost park, Ballroom, The National Orthopedic hospital, gariki etc. I ate the popular "Okpa Enugu". In the 16 years I last visited Enugu so much has changed.
Indeed Enugu is beautiful 😍.
Pictures were taken and edited by me using inshot.