by Erika Cormier

Created on: March 25, 2009

Pounding heart, impending doom, fear of death and distrust of a qualified professional. Sound familiar? I hate to fly. The first time I flew was in 1998 from Boston to Los Angeles, not a great first experience as it is a six hour flight. I wasn't initially frightened or filled with anxiety as I am now, for I had nothing to compare the experience to. I had never flown. I was with a good friend which helped, but she hadn't been on a plane either! I remember every bump, sway, drop and noise which I had never known before. I was scared to death. The flight attendant noticed my terror and offered me water while very unsympathetically saying "first time flying?" Of course I was the obvious first time passenger.

I managed to get through it. I also did the same flight again a month later. The plane had to descend quickly due to weather and I thought I was going to die. Even the flight attendants were told to quickly be seated. I thought that was it, this was my destiny. Of course I was wrong. After my second horrible flight to Los Angeles, I decided and vowed that I would never fly again, which I stayed true to for eight years.

Then I got engaged. I was obsessed with planning a non-flight trip that would still be exciting, but living on the east coast, being near exciting cities like Boston and New York City plus having the beach and mountains all nearby, it wasn't an easily convincing task. We have eevrything and had experienced all that people dream to see, besides Europe which was totally out of the question. After my ridiculous attemots to plan trips between the Poconos and a train ride to Tennessee, my then fiance had "had" it. He said maybe we should just do nothing since I didn't want to do anything exciting which he considers requiring flying. After much thought I did have to admit I would love an island trip but was very scared. My chance for practice had presented itself.

My work wanted me to fly to Tampa, Florida, a 3.5 hour flight which had a layover in Philadelphia. Yes, you can imagine my horror when I was told. I tried to tell them I don't fly but being business and vacationing folk, they laughed it off and convinced me to do it. I felt cornered and just said okay but planned to back out. Then I got the flight agenda in my mailbox at work and I felt there was no turning back. Especially if I wanted to continue my successful rise in the comapny.

So I did it. I planned obsessively the whole night before what I would take with my check list in hand. My husband

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