I fly tomorrow

I already had a post about fears, and honestly, I'm not actually afraid of flying, I'm really not. I've flown many times, not many in recent years but when I was a kid I did. After my ears stopped hurting when I flew it hasn't been too bad. Here's the deal, now that I am a journalist I read about horrific events all day long or I see them on the news that we always have on the multiple TVs in the newsroom. Some of these stories include plane crashes. Now, I am scared of flying.

I'm flying out of the tiny regional airport here which I've never done before and it didn't help that a co-worker told me today that some of planes are like "golf carts with wings." Yea, how is that comforting? Needless to say, I'm freaking out.

So, I've looked up good ways to calm down. These seem like relatively obvious ways to not lose it on an aircraft. I'm not saying I'd go crazy and open the emergency exit or something, but I also don't want to hyperventilate in turbulence. Here are some of their guidelines:

• The plane is strong, stable, reliable, and well maintained. (But in bad weather that doesn't matter.)
  
• Trust the well trained and experienced crew. (It isn't the crew I'm worried about)
  
• Trust the airline industry. (I mean, isn't America Airlines in Chapter 11?)
• Turbulence may feel uncomfortable, but it is normal. (How can I tell when the bumpy isn't normal anymore?)

I'm definitely going to be the girl holding up the security line, too. I just know it. And who knows who's going to be sitting next to me. It could be someone even more freaked out than I am. Or, if I attempt to make myself calm, with like...you know...drinks or Tylenol PM I might turn out like THIS. I don't want that. I don't need to get kicked off of a plane.

Wish me luck flying to the North. I'll need the luck. I have to change planes and I have this feeling that's going to be an epic experience.