I'm going to Italy!!!

S

sblordita

Cathlete
Hi everybody. I don't post here often, but really enjoy reading and "interacting" with you guys. You always make my day a little bit better and I love to go home and share your stories with the family. BUT, I am so excited that I have to share that I am finally going to Italy to visit my family after 12 years!!! My mom would take me and my sister often when we were young, but after her parents died, she became depressed and very afraid to fly. Well, her anxiety of flying has passed on to me, and I think mine is worse.

However, my cousin is having a HUGE wedding that has been in the works for 5 or 6 years and some other family members from all over the US are flying there also. It's been about 10 years since they've been back to Italy themselves. I have known about this for over a year, but finally decided to put my anxiety a little to the side and just go for it! I'm pushing it, because I have to get my passport today and we leave in under 3 months!!!! My parents can't go because my sister is getting married in September and all of their money is already invested in that :(.

Anyway, in the midst of all of my excitement, I am still deathly afraid of flying. Does anyone share this feeling? Does anyone have any advice? I need all of the reassurance I can get. About the only downfall is that this is going to postpone my marathon training, but I think this trip is much more scary and much more important right now :D

Thanks for letting me share my news :))

Sara
 
Hi Sara!

How exciting! Don't pass up the opportunity due to fear of flying. You have to remember that just a few short hours will pass and you'll be at your destination. I was never afraid of flying until 1993. All of a sudden I was terrified. What I have found that helps me is to take along a CD player and a Gameboy. Have that glass of wine, plug in some music and play video games. No kidding...it really helps. Yoga breathing helps, too. Also, once I feel my "flying legs" I usually calm down and am fine. My anxiety over flying passed after 9/11. We had booked a trip to Hawaii in 7/01 and was scheduled to go 12/01. For some reason I had no problem hopping on that plane. I just figured life is to be lived and I will not let some terroism stand in the way. As a matter of fact, we are returning to Hawaii on Tuesday. No problem. Go for it and have a great time; it will be so worth it!


Vickie :)
 
That's great Sara!! It sounds very exciting! I must say, I share your fear of flying. The thought petrifies me. But, once I actually get on the plane, I'm fine. It's just the thinking about it before hand that really scares me.

Have FUN!!

Danielle :7
 
WOW!that is awesome!!I would love to go to Italy.My advice would be to stay busy on the plane-bring something to read.just relax and it will be over before you know it.
 
Hi Sara,

What part of Italy are you going to? I live in Aviano. Definietly come over. I agree w/ keeping busy. Most likely you will be flying during the evening, so you will probably sleep.

Lollie
 
Great news about your trip!! As to your fear of flying, I spoke with a woman recently who is very fearful of flying, but has to do it every now and then. One of the things she said she does is let the flight attendants know that she's very anxious about it. According to her experiences, they've gone out of their way to make her more comfortable and relaxed during the flight - maybe that means free drinks :7

I think she got a seat upgrade once or twice because of it. Hope this helps.
 
Thanks everybody for sharing in this. I get that much more excited knowing that there are people out there excited for me. I'm giddy right now,even after a LOOOOOOOONNGGGG day of trying to get a passport. They are ridiculously expensive now, and my mama can't find my birth certificate, SO, that's 40 extra bucks and an extra week of waiting. I'm really cutting it close now. And I have to take my passport pictures smack dab in the middle of my worst acne breakout in history. See what the thought of flying is doing to me already!!! With each one of your posts I feel just a wee bit better. Hahaha... I'm going to sound like a hypochondriac now, but I also suffer from severe motion sickness. Hahaha! At least it will keep my mind off of everything else. Oh, and my family lives in a small subarb of Naples, right near Bacoli, I believe. But, my aunt, cousin, boyfriend, and I will be traveling around after a week or two in Naples. It should be great. If you can imagine, my mother and her three sisters (all here in the states now) have never traveled outside Naples/Rome area. And in all the times I've been there, I've never seen anything else myself. I've also considered moving there to pursue art... not really as a career, but to study for a year or two. My mother was an artist, and moved to the states with my father before she had a chance to finish her degree. I plan on hitting the art schools and museums for sure! And my relatives are more than willing to let me live with them if that's what I decide to do. I feel that this brings me one step closer to a decision. I feel so lucky right now that I have so many choices :D.

Ok, I'm off to book flights... oh, and yeah, perhaps I should do some work, too. }(

Thanks again guys!!
I'm going to buy a gameboy. I love those things anyway.

Sara
 
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