Next weekend I will be off to Miami with my girlfriends. I must say I absolutely cannot wait to relax on the beach and soak up the sun; however, I am petrified to fly. During my sophomore year of college, my roommates and I planned spring break in Miami. I was so excited to go and couldn’t wait to experience my first spring break trip. I packed my bags, said goodbye to my family and spent the night at my girlfriends. As we all relaxed and mentally prepared ourselves for the 7 am flight, it began to sink in. I was becoming apprehensive about the flight. The next morning the alarm went off and we were off to the airport. As I walked into JFK the chills ran down my spine. I could not believe I was about to do this. I called my parents and expressed how nervous I was. They reassured me that I would be alright and shortly basking in the sun. After we checked our bags and ate our breakfast it was time to board the plane. I nervously stepped on and checked out my surroundings. I sat down and realized that flying was not for me. Looking at the man next to me reading the bible and the 20 year olds taking pills to calm them down, I said to myself “if this is what people have to do to feel safe, then I am not doing it”. I grabbed my things and walked off. Just like that my spring break was put to a stop.
It has been a few years since I decided to walk off the plane. I have missed out on so many experiences because of my fear of flying. Recently, I decided that I do not want to miss these opportunities again. Next week, I am hoping to walk on that plane with a different outlook and conquer my fears (without reading the bible or taking pills to calm me down). Not only do I not want to miss out on this vacation with my friends, but it will mean so much to me to be able to get over this fear on my own.
Now, I have two favors to ask of you! One, please pray that I have a safe flight to Miami and that I actually stay on the plane this timeJ. Two, if anyone has any flying advice to calm me down or help me feel less nervous that day, I would love to hear it!
Vocabulary
· Petrified: scared; terrified
· Sophomore: a word that is used for students in their second year of school (can be used for high school or college students)
· Apprehensive: a feeling of nervousness
· Expressed: voiced or explained; communicated
· Reassured: comforted or calmed down; put at ease
· Basking: relaxing or lounging.
· Surroundings: the atmosphere in which a person is in; the environment
· Conquer: to overcome or master; defeat
Exercise
Write a short essay describing an event in your life which made you feel nervous or apprehensive. How did you deal with this feeling? Why did you feel this way? Use no less than 2 of the vocabulary words in your essay.
