I was very young, in my twenties, when I had my first trip. My husband had promised to take me on a short trip and my first trip was to E”Y. I was terrified! I took benedryl or something like that to calm my nerves. I told my mother that she would have to bring my kids to E”Y if I was too scared to get on the plane to come back. When the security lady started asking me questions I told her this was my first airplane trip and if she asked me anymore questions I would throw up or pass out right then and there. She passed me through on the spot.
I would suggest a short flight first just to get acclimated and make a list of what your fear is really about. Is it the plane itself? Is it the take off and landing? Is it being in the air? I love to fly now. Everything I was afraid of in the beginning I really love now. So try to list all the things that you think you are afraid of because it is all in your thoughts.
Then try to work through them one by one.
Take off is like a rush, something like an express elevator going to the top floors. You are up in the air within a few seconds and don’t even realize it.
Being in the air is like some kind of special treat. You are flying among clouds, you feel so close to Hashem and his miracles. You feel like you are among soft but huge cotton balls just surrounding you and cushioning you through your journey. Of course you can experience some bumps along the way, just like in your car, but that is Hashem reminding you that he is there so don’t worry.
As you climb to your altitude or you start your decent, you see the miracle of the world Hashem created. It is quite amazing to see the landscape of the world. It is really divided into squares and rectangles according to the lay of the land and the direction that land grows just like on a map. Mountains are spectacular just like in the pictures, and as you get closer, the lights of the cities are amazing. To see how cities are constructed, the roads and highways, layouts of homes and commercial areas, as you get even closer you see trees and backyards with pools … you can start reading signs on hotels and stores. It is truly amazing and then within seconds you land and you think that’s it, my view is over? We are here? Well not quite because you have all the time in the middle when you are in the air, reading or sleeping, or watching tv, or a movie. Or listening to your partner snore, or people chatting, or babies crying or other normal sounds.
So Hatzlocha, enjoy your journey and you will get to your destination safely to start that adventure whatever that is. Take along your favorite pillow because the pillow they give you is flimsy, wear comfortable clothing. Wear layers so you can take off your sweater if you are warm and you can ask for a blanket if you are cold (if it is a long trip). Take along ear plugs if you want to sleep and an eye mask.