Face Your Fears
I believe in facing my fears. In order to do so I did what I was most afraid of, I got on an
airplane. Since I was a child I always dreamt of flying but I would always
chicken out at the last minute. I was so afraid of the plane just dropping out
of the sky and BOOM! Just blowing to pieces. I now know that an airplane is less
likely than a car to have an accident and hey, I drive in a car every single
day. As I got older I realized that it doesn’t matter if you’re on a plane, train, bus, boat or in a car, if
it’s your time to check out its nothing you can do about it. When I realized
this, each time I got on an airplane became more of a beautiful experience
rather than a frightening idea. When I realized that I overcame something that I have
been afraid of my entire life I felt like I accomplished the world.
March 3rd, 2011 was the first time I flew. I went on vacation in Lake
Worth, Florida, because my god-mom has a condo there. She accompanied me on the
way there. The flight was two to three hours long from the Philadelphia airport
to the Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida. The flight boarded at 6:40 a.m. and
was supposed to land at 9:30 a.m. I was glad to leave Pa because it was still so
cold, maybe in about the high 30’s-mid 40’s and in the high 70’s -mid 80’s in
Florida.
I remember not even being able to sleep the night before. I thought that if I stayed up all
night until it was time to leave for the airport that I would be tired enough to
sleep throughout the whole flight there. I was wrong. From the moment I stepped
foot in the airport my heart was pounding like there was a set of drums being
pounded on inside of my chest. I was sweating and biting my nails. I was just a
pathetic case of paranoia. We got to the airport around 6:00 and all I could
think about was changing my mind and going back home. My god-mom convinced me
not to so I decided to be a big girl and just get on the damn plane.
"Boom... Boom Boom... BOOM BOOM... BOOM"
That was my heart beating as the plane boarded. My throat was so dry and I squeezed
my god-moms hand until it became numb. I prayed the whole time until the plane
was ready to go. 3-2-1 and the plane took off I was so scared because it tilted
in an upward position and I was hallucinating, thinking that it was going to
come crashing right back down. I peaked one eye open as I felt the plane
gradually getting higher into the sky.The only thing I could hear was a baby crying.
I did not realize that I was not breathing until my god-mom told me to relax and gave
me some chewing gum and peanuts so that my ears didn't pop.
After a few deep breathes I calmed down and looked out the window
and it was the most beautiful sight ever. Daylight was just arriving and the sun
was slowly rising. The clouds were white and fluffy. At that very moment I
smiled, thinking to myself “this isn’t as bad as I
thought”. About a half hour into our flight I dosed off, I was extremely tired from staying up
the night before. In no time my god-mom tapped me and said we were about to
land. I held my breath and squeezed her hand and I felt the plane gradually
going lower…and lower… and lower and there it was. The moment I was waiting for.
We landed safe and sound. I exhaled and quietly said to myself, “I did it”.
I faced my fear. It was the best feeling ever and the best part about it was that I did it by choice, on my own.
Just knowing that gave me an incredible feeling of satisfaction. I was proud of myself. Each time I flew
after that became a little more easier than the time before.
Now I absolutely love to fly.
I believe in facing my fears. In order to do so I did what I was most afraid of, I got on an
airplane. Since I was a child I always dreamt of flying but I would always
chicken out at the last minute. I was so afraid of the plane just dropping out
of the sky and BOOM! Just blowing to pieces. I now know that an airplane is less
likely than a car to have an accident and hey, I drive in a car every single
day. As I got older I realized that it doesn’t matter if you’re on a plane, train, bus, boat or in a car, if
it’s your time to check out its nothing you can do about it. When I realized
this, each time I got on an airplane became more of a beautiful experience
rather than a frightening idea. When I realized that I overcame something that I have
been afraid of my entire life I felt like I accomplished the world.
March 3rd, 2011 was the first time I flew. I went on vacation in Lake
Worth, Florida, because my god-mom has a condo there. She accompanied me on the
way there. The flight was two to three hours long from the Philadelphia airport
to the Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida. The flight boarded at 6:40 a.m. and
was supposed to land at 9:30 a.m. I was glad to leave Pa because it was still so
cold, maybe in about the high 30’s-mid 40’s and in the high 70’s -mid 80’s in
Florida.
I remember not even being able to sleep the night before. I thought that if I stayed up all
night until it was time to leave for the airport that I would be tired enough to
sleep throughout the whole flight there. I was wrong. From the moment I stepped
foot in the airport my heart was pounding like there was a set of drums being
pounded on inside of my chest. I was sweating and biting my nails. I was just a
pathetic case of paranoia. We got to the airport around 6:00 and all I could
think about was changing my mind and going back home. My god-mom convinced me
not to so I decided to be a big girl and just get on the damn plane.
"Boom... Boom Boom... BOOM BOOM... BOOM"
That was my heart beating as the plane boarded. My throat was so dry and I squeezed
my god-moms hand until it became numb. I prayed the whole time until the plane
was ready to go. 3-2-1 and the plane took off I was so scared because it tilted
in an upward position and I was hallucinating, thinking that it was going to
come crashing right back down. I peaked one eye open as I felt the plane
gradually getting higher into the sky.The only thing I could hear was a baby crying.
I did not realize that I was not breathing until my god-mom told me to relax and gave
me some chewing gum and peanuts so that my ears didn't pop.
After a few deep breathes I calmed down and looked out the window
and it was the most beautiful sight ever. Daylight was just arriving and the sun
was slowly rising. The clouds were white and fluffy. At that very moment I
smiled, thinking to myself “this isn’t as bad as I
thought”. About a half hour into our flight I dosed off, I was extremely tired from staying up
the night before. In no time my god-mom tapped me and said we were about to
land. I held my breath and squeezed her hand and I felt the plane gradually
going lower…and lower… and lower and there it was. The moment I was waiting for.
We landed safe and sound. I exhaled and quietly said to myself, “I did it”.
I faced my fear. It was the best feeling ever and the best part about it was that I did it by choice, on my own.
Just knowing that gave me an incredible feeling of satisfaction. I was proud of myself. Each time I flew
after that became a little more easier than the time before.
Now I absolutely love to fly.