Until very recently, I have never flown on a plane before. The the actual flying that scared me, but the thought of the plane stopping and crashing thousands of miles through the air that scared me. Also, the security checks, cramped seats on the plane, and getting lost in a giant airport seemed less than fun. However, I was pleasantly surprised after my friend and fellow Her Campus IUP writer, Jessie List, flew together just a short time ago.
Jessie and I attended the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) this November, which was held in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Driving there was out of the question, and taking a train was too expensive and too long. So I had to face my fears, and reluctantly bought my plane ticket. My first bit of advice to people who are new to flying is travel with someone who has flown on a plane a few times before. Jessie and her family had flown many times before our trip, so I felt more comfortable traveling with her. Plus she was patient with me when I asked tons of nervous questions about flying.
Secondly, if you are only traveling for a few days, pack as lightly as possible. The two of us were only gone for three nights, and I totally overpacked. If I only had one bag instead of two, it would have been a lot easier (and cheaper) for me. I constantly felt like I was in the way of people when I was lugging my bags around, and my arms were killing me by the end of the day after waiting in lines.
Bring something to read and some music to listen to. When the plane started to take off, I plugged my headphones in and turned my music up. The music really helped me stay calm, as I tried not to think about the fact I was ascending. Any kind of distraction made the overall experience feel like it wasn’t a big deal.
And finally, RELAX! I found flying to be pretty exciting actually. It was so cool to look out the window and watch huge cities become really tiny in the matter of a few minutes. The plane crew were friendly and helpful, and the plane ride went smoothly. I’m so glad I pushed through my fear of flying, otherwise I wouldn’t have visited the beautiful city of Minneapolis and attend a great convention.