It is one of those leaps of faith in oneself. Letting go of fear is a challenge, but you are on the right track in seeking community and having spent ample time ramping up to heading out. Welcome indeed.... It is intimidating heading out into the millions of other people, watching them all scurry around doing their human things while you slice through their lives. By and large people are doing their own thing and will take little to no notice of you, unless of course your short bus is an homage to Ken Kesey or the Partridge Family. Once you get out past the Miss, things thin out and are very unlike the eastern half of the country, and because it is mostly rural, it is also safer overall...
Fear is a natural and healthy response to engaging in unfamiliar activities and going strange places. By and large in my first 8 months out here I have found almost all people to be friendly and helpful, and decent human beings... our media makes it look like there are wolves around every corner, but it feels like fear mongering... certainly take safety measures, but so not let fear overcome logic.
Fear also means you may have a realistic view of you path ahead, because it is along drive and "shit happens"... I you had no fear, you would perhaps being PollyAnning your way to disaster..... of course not being one does not preclude one from disaster doh.. it could stop me in my tracks ....
so.. yeah.. fear... death is coming for us all.. fear hasn't got anything on death... death always wins eventually... so tell fear to go f with death if it is bored...
May your road be clear and pump prices low...
( I saved a ton on gas by having a Sam's membership, some use Costco)