For my last college spring break, I chose to fly to Minnesota. I was debating for a couple weeks if I should even fly; I thought I would back out at the last minute. Then I started to realize that I wanted to travel and see the world, and I needed to do this for myself and finally overcome this fear of flying.
When I bought my plane ticket, all of my fears about flying started to set in. I had three weeks before my spring break, and I started to worry about how I was going to deal with being on a plane.
I started to do some research about it for the first time. I wanted to get a feel of how some people felt about flying and see if I could find any good tips about the experience. While searching different websites that offered information about flying, I came across an article written by Michael Inbar called: “Afraid to fly? Here’s how to cope.” He writes: “Those who already have a fear of flying may be surprised at how common it is—[psychiatrist Gail] Saltz cites it as one of the most common anxiety disorders. It can be linked to the fears that are a basic part of human nature, from fear of heights to fear of the dark…to fear of being over water.” Having all different types of fears can give you anxiety when you are about to fly.
Once I was done researching, I started to talk to one of my close friends about flying. She is a pro at flying because she has to fly overseas and take long flights. She did tell me I may get a little scared at takeoff because the plane goes straight up and during landing the plane goes down.
The night before my flight, I was a little scared because I didn’t know how I would react once I got on the plane. I was up early around 4 a.m., making sure I packed everything and had my ticket. About an hour later, my dad drove me to the airport. By the time I was in the car, all of my fears had left me because I knew I was getting on the plane and I could not turn back.
My experience arriving at the airport was different and new because I had never been to an airport before. When I got to the check-in counter I didn’t know what to do. (I saw everyone else pressing things; I guess they were pros at flying!) I asked the worker from American Airlines to help me. She came over and showed me how to check in and get my boarding pass.
After waiting in the long lines and going through all the security checks, I headed to my gate area. (I was thinking, no one ever told me about this part of the airport.) I looked out the window and saw the different planes take off into the sunrise, which was a cool sighting.
An hour later my flight was called to start boarding. After showing my boarding pass and walking onto the plane, I found my seat next a man who was already asleep. I put my bag in the overhead, took my seat and put on my seatbelt, and began looking out the window at the other planes.
Everyone one was seated in their seats and the captain started to talk about the flight and welcoming everyone. After the flight attendants explained all the procedures, the plane started to move very slowly preparing for takeoff. I started to think if I wanted to close my eyes or keep them open; I decided to keep them open so I could see everything. The plane started going faster and faster, then finally we were up in the air. All of my fears were finally gone.
I looked out the window at the sky and saw how peaceful flying was.
An hour later, the captain said we were 60 miles away from the airport in Minnesota. Looking out the window seeing all the homes, I knew I was getting closer to the airport, which made me happy because I had finally faced my fears. The plane came down really slowly and landed. Once I went to retrieve my bags, I called my mom to tell her I landed and made it safely. I was happy I finally overcame my fear of flying.
Side Bar:
If you’ve never flown before, here are some tips that will ensure smooth sailing:
• The night before your flight, you should print out your boarding pass. By printing out your boarding pass early you will save a lot of time at the airport. Also, you can choose your seat, depending on the airline you are on.
• Make sure you have all of your liquids in a clear plastic bag. Some airports offer free Ziploc bags right before you have to go through security check point. Visit the Transportation Security Administration for information on what you can and cannot bring on a plane: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/index.shtm.
• Have a traveling name tag on your bags, in case you forget what bag you have.
• While on the plane have some gum with your because your ears will start to pop.
• Keep yourself distracted by reading a book, listening to music, etc.
• Try not to tense up or feel nervous about turbulence.
• Don’t imagine or ponder upon horrible images, like the recent plane crash on the news, the horror movie you watched the night before. Relax and take deep breaths. Stay calm!
Model: Mecca
