re:My Fear of Flying

This is in reply to Kev writing about his fears of flying. The first time I flew was also the first time I left the country. In September of 2012 my mother dropped me off at Columbus International Airport for a morning flight destined to Narita International Airport. I was fucking terrified. I was so inside of my own head with fears of flying I nearly missed my flight. The loudspeakers called out my name for a final boarding call...I was sitting right in front of the gate, completely oblivious to the fact that the whole plane had boarded. Once I was in the air, my fears started to ease as the excitement at experiencing air travel started to take over. It also helped that I had my first (and second) legal beer (after the stewardess confirmed we were safely over Canada). I flew semi frequently after that, yearly trips to Mexico, visiting family (and getting married) in China, etc. Flying became normal, and my fears were mostly gone. But after my son was born nearly 4 years ago, we…