* As a city girl, I am overwhelmed at first by such wide open spaces. Beautiful as it is, I feel vulnerable. I seek shelter, if only by my hat. Silly me.

* I was puzzled by my feelings and looked it up. This is what I found:

* Kenophobia is an intense, irrational fear of empty or wide-open spaces. Keno - is from the Greek for empty or blank, and phobia - is Greek for fear. The lack of defined borders or physical barriers can cause disorientation and even trigger panic attacks for a person with kenophobia.

* Kenophobia is often confused with agoraphobia, which is a specific fear of going out in public or being in a situation that may be difficult to escape. There is some overlap; for example, both agoraphobia and kenophobia could include a scenario such as swimming in open water. However, agoraphobia may also be triggered in a closed space, such as riding the subway.

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