I fly scared…but I still go!

View of Cancun, Mexico just after takeoff. Photo courtesy of my daughter…I gave up the window seat!

I’m currently on a plane, heading home from vacation.  And I have a confession. 

I hate flying.

When you own a travel agency, you probably shouldn’t have this fear.  But I do.  In a bad sort of way. 

I’m not talking the, “Oh I could be stuck next to someone who wants to talk the entire flight” sort of fear.  I mean the “I’m going to analyze every slight movement and fixate on every possible catastrophe while I simultaneously analyze the flight attendants’ movements” sort of fear. 

And, listen…I know all of the safety statistics.  I know more people die annually in cars than in planes. I know the planes are built to withstand far more turbulence than I’ve ever experienced.  I know the creaks mean the plane is doing its job.  I know this fear is largely irrational.  But I don’t care.  I have it and it is fierce.  These are some (yes, just some) of the irrational fears I have genuinely possessed on every flight…in no particular order.

·      The brakes give out on landing and we just run off the runway (that’s if the wheels deploy in time)

·      Someone will open the Emergency Exit midflight

·      When we turn slightly after takeoff the entire plane will slip into a barrel turn and we’ll be toast

·      We will run head on into another plane when going through clouds

·      Everyone using their phones NOT in airplane mode will jam the satellite navigational system and we will have a midair collision

·      Hijackers (obviously)

·      The pilot AND co-pilot have simultaneous heart attacks (highly unlikely, I am aware)

These don’t even take into account that I can NEVER sleep on a plane.  I might need to help save the day and land the plane…with zero flight training. 

But here’s the thing about flying…it’s the fastest (and I am fully aware, arguably the safest) way to travel and see the world.  And my desire to live and experience as many different places as possible is greater than my fear of flying. 

Flying has taken me to Mexico where I swam in three different types of cenote.  It took me to see the Grand Canyon and Yosemite, and the incredible views of the Rocky Mountains.  Flying took me to Paris and the glittering lights of the Eiffel Tower and to the bench in Richmond, England where Ted Lasso and Coach Beard pontificated about life…and the pub where they had a few pints…we did that, too!  And flying took me to Whistler for my honeymoon AND for my tenth anniversary where we shared the slopes with our daughters while we reminisced. 

Travel, for me, is about being uncomfortable.  Sometimes you can be uncomfortable with a new language or the local customs, road signs, or food.  I happen to be most uncomfortable on the way TO my destination.  But while I’m there, it’s like that fear never existed.  I’m just trying to soak it all in and make the most of my time with my favorite people.  It’s what keeps me logging miles and enjoying adventures.  Because growth only happens when you’re uncomfortable.  And every new travel adventure leaves a lasting impression on me.  I’m a changed person, and a better version of myself because I faced my fears!

If your fear of flying has ever held you back from booking that trip…let’s talk. I promise, I get it more than most. But that fear does not have to stop you from crossing off your bucket list!