My First Flight Experience

As a sweet girl who once believed a roller coaster could end her life (if you missed this gist, check it out here https://sweetliliansomething.blogspot.com/2025/04/fear-is-scam-heres-how-i-conquered-it.html), the thoughts of flying in an airplane could only be depressingly terrifying. Everyone else seemed convinced too, people warned me about the fear, the takeoff, the height, the feeling in your stomach. 

And for a moment, as the aircraft began to move and my heart raced faster than it should, I thought they might be right. But then something unexpected happened. Somewhere between the ascent and the calm above the clouds, fear went quiet, and I found myself enjoying every single moment.

Before the flight itself, my mind did what it does best - overthinking. I asked people who had flown before what it felt like, and somehow their stories only fueled my imagination. I Googled questions I probably shouldn’t have, like whether planes are actually safe and what turbulence really means. 

At the airport, I watched the flight attendants closely, studying their faces for any sign of concern, as if they held secret knowledge about my fate. And in between all of that, I prayed. Quietly, sincerely, fervently, in preparation.

I wasn’t dramatic about it, but the fear was there. Subtle. Lingering.

I watched people and read every inscription to ensure I followed the rules. I was literally learning on the job lol.

When the aircraft soared, my heart immediately responded. Faster beats. Shallow breaths. That familiar feeling of here we go again. As we accelerated down the runway, I braced myself, half-expecting the fear to overwhelm me. This was the moment everyone talked about, the part I was supposed to dread the most.

And for a few seconds, I did.

But almost as suddenly as it came, the panic softened. As the plane soared and continued to ascend, something shifted inside me. The air felt calmer. The noise faded into the background. I looked out at the clouds, soft, endless, unreal in the most beautiful way, and felt an unexpected sense of peace.

I wasn’t pretending to be brave. I hadn’t forced calm. I had been afraid until I wasn’t.

Somewhere between the sky stretching endlessly before me and the quiet rhythm of the flight, I realized I was okay. More than okay, I was present. Grounded. Enjoying the experience I once believed I wouldn’t survive.

 

At some point, I realized I was smiling. Not the nervous kind, just a soft, genuine smile. The person seated next to me noticed and gave me a brief look, the kind that suggests curiosity. Maybe he wondered what I was smiling about, or maybe he sensed that something had shifted. 

 

Either way, I stayed there, smiling through the moment, fully present in an experience I once believed would undo me.

By the time it was time to land, there wasn’t even a trace of fear left. No racing heart. No anxious thoughts. The descent felt smooth, almost familiar, and before I knew it, we had landed. 

I disembarked the aircraft feeling good, grounded., and proud. That was one of the best experiences I had ever had.

What surprised me even more was how much I enjoyed the return trip. I wasn’t just calm; I was looking forward to it. I welcomed the takeoff, took pictures and made videos, embraced the height, and leaned into the beauty of flying. That was when I knew something had truly changed. I didn’t just survive my first flight; I fell in love with it.

And I don’t think I will stop. I want to keep flying. I want to keep choosing experiences that once scared me and discovering how gentle they can be on the other side. Maybe the next time I face a roller coaster or a pendulum ride, fear won’t have as much to say. Maybe heights won’t feel like enemies anymore, just reminders of how far I’ve grown.

Fear didn’t disappear on that flight - it simply stopped leading. What stayed with me wasn’t the height or the movement, but the calm that followed once I allowed myself to trust the process. Flying showed me that growth doesn’t always come with chaos, sometimes it arrives quietly, gently, and leaves you changed in the best way. 

And now, whether its heights, new experiences, or life itself, I know this much: I’m capable of more than fear ever let me believe.

Fear is only in the head. No one can make you feel it except you.

 

… The Sweet Lilian