From Wikipedia: Anticipation is an emotion involving pleasure (and sometimes anxiety) in considering some expected or longed-for good event, or irritation at having to wait. Robert Plutchik listed anticipation as one of the eight basic emotions in his psychoevolutionary theory. See also hope. A name for pleasured anticipation is excitement.

Anticipation can be shown in many ways; for example, some people seem to smile uncontrallably during this period, while others seem ill or sick. It is not uncommon for the brain the be so focused into an event, that the body is affected in such a way. Stage fright is a type of anticipation, stemming from the actor or actress hoping that they perform well.

Sometimes in life, anticipation is better than the actual event in which you are anticipating. For me, the most high-risk, expensive or sinful activities provide the most delirious levels of anticipation but also the most disappointment should the highly-anticipated experience fail to meet my now towering standards. I wonder why this is?