After driving to the Philadelphia airport, I experienced my first flight! It was on Southwest Air, direct from Philly to Nashville. And it was an AMAZING experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The worst part about flying was actually the waiting to get aboard the plane. Southwest works differently than the other airlines, in that they do not assign a seat before you board! You need to “check-in” 24 hours before the flight and you will get A, B, or C, and a number. The A group boards first, B second, C last. If you don’t like the section you were assigned, you can pay ($30-$50) to move up to A1-15. If actually getting on the plane makes you very anxious, this might be a good way for you to travel, adding a few more dollars to the cost, but it may be worth it to help settle your anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For me, having never flown before, I was very nervous about whether my cary-on luggage was going to fit in the overhead bin, or if it was going to need to be stowed, and if so, what hassle would I be causing. Thankfully, my luggage fit without a problem. Once my luggage was stowed overhead and I was in my seat, my anxiety level was significantly lowered. Now, I just needed to see how I handled the flight itself! I do not have motion sickness, but I brought some medicine just in case. Again, thankfully, the flight itself went without any problems. There were a few times when the plane would roll to turn, and the pressure change would make me a little dizzy. To counteract this, I would look at something that was fixed: either the yellow tie-down on the wing, or the “exit” sign in the cabin. Once I was looking at something attached to the plane, the dizzy feeling went away. I will also tell you, when the wheels touch down upon landing, there is a harsh bounce that I was not expecting. It’s normal. Some landings may be rougher than others, but the bump was a surprise, but not a problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
My first flight was very enjoyable, and although I do prefer driving (because I like being able to bring my own food and supplies,) if I want to go someplace fast, or someplace I can’t drive, I know that I can fly and will enjoy it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n