Flying

Just looking at the picture below makes me short of breath and anxious.

I am not afraid of death.  It's the actual dying part leading up to death that scares the shizola right out of me.

And crashing in an airplane is on my top 5 list of ways I do NOT want to die.

I know all the logic. I know tens of thousands of planes fly every day.  I know driving a car is much more dangerous.

It's just the fact that I am in an enclosed space with no means of escape.  (AHHH!  I'm getting all panicky just writing about this).  I'm trapped.  I mean, would you rather die instantly in a car crash, or KNOW for 20 minutes or so that you are going to die as the plane is going down????  

I faced my ultimate challenge last summer when Jeff and I flew to London for our 15 year anniversary.  Not only would I be trapped in a plane for hours and hours, I would be flying over WATER!  A whole ocean! (Another in my top 5 list of ways I don't want to die--drowning).

So how do I cope?  That's easy.  Big time, hard core prescription drugs.

My modus operandi is just to be so out of it and unaware that I won't know or care if the plane is plummeting to the earth.

I just load up on an Ativan or two, and when that doesn't kick in fast enough, three, and I'm good to go.  

Jeff tells me stories afterwards of me staggering through the airport, wearing a neck pillow, crying off and on for no reason.  I don't remember a thing.  I think he's lying.  ;)

I think I overdid it last time because when we finally got to our hotel in London I threw up (too much Ativan?) and slept for 16 hours.

This is just a little flight to California.  It's only for 4 days so I can't waste a whole day and a half being drugged up on a drug as strong as Ativan.  A Xanax (or two) will have to suffice.

Poor, poor Nicole (my brother's wife) who has the task of flying with me.  I hope she is up to the challenge.

But I will do it.  Why?

Because I get to see this sister....

...and this sister...

...and this sister.  They all live out of state and I miss them.  I'm so excited.

This was the last girls' trip we all had together almost 4 years ago.  Too long.

L to R:  Julie, Steph, Mom, Stacey, Nicole, me, Keri (the only one who won't be going, sniff)