How I Overcame My Fear of Flying

I used to hate flying so much, and anytime I had to get on a plane, I would literally be gripping the armrest until my knuckles turned white. I always envisioned a thousand things that could go wrong, not minding that flying was adjudged the safest way to travel.

The last time I flew on a plane, I was 12, and I clung to my mum like my life depended on it. Now I am 23 and can no longer put it off. I have to face my fear of flying. I was attending my cousin’s destination wedding in the Maldives.

After boarding, while we were about to take off, I confided in the man sitting next to me about my fears, and he offered some very helpful tips. The first was to acknowledge my fear and realise it was absolutely unnecessary, taking deep breaths if I felt panicky and closing my eyes and imagining that I was gliding through a lush garden with beautiful flowers (I love nature).

As the plane descended towards the Velana International Airport, my heart was in my mouth, and as it taxied on the runway, I grabbed the arm of the man beside me. Taking deep breaths, closing my eyes and imagining I was gliding through a lush garden with beautiful flowers, all worked during the flight, but as we landed, my brain seemed to forget all that. Finally, we touched down, and I heaved a huge sigh of relief; we proceeded by speedboat to the beautiful resort. I was greeted by the most beautiful sights, turquoise-blue waters and beautiful islanders. I suddenly realized that I will be missing out on life if I did not overcome my fear of flying

The wedding turned out to be the most amazing trip of my life, and every time I have to travel, all I have to do is remind myself of the wonderful time I had in the Maldives, and all my fears just evaporate because instead of worrying about the flight, I think about the places I will see, the people I will meet and the wonderful experiences waiting on the other side.