Small confession: Until a few years ago, I used to be terrified of flying. Like Valium-required, grab my seatmate, shriek and break out in sweats scared of flying. People tend to be amused when I disclose this former phobia, wondering how and why I ever decided to become a travel writer, much less one who typically logs 100+ flights per year. I’m still uncertain of the root of the fear, but was reminded today of the moment I got over it while speaking with the Building a Future folks who are coordinating my first volunteer project for The Global Citizen Project in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
I was in Honduras several years ago on a press trip sponsored by the Honduras Tourism Board. Our travels took us all over the country, including landing twice at Toncontín International Airport (TGU), widely considered one of the world’s most dangerous airports. Built in 1948, TGU gives pilots just 6,112 feet of asphalt to land on in a valley surrounded by hills. A friend recently recounted a story her old boss told about landing at TGU with women praying to rosaries and men hugging their chickens back in the 1950s. Aside from the livestock, not much has changed.
At the very end of our trip, we had one last inter-country from San Pedro Sula back to Tegucigalpa. I took one look at our teeny tiny plane and immediately made a beeline for the airport bar. The plane seated no more than a dozen passengers and looked like a high school student’s arts and crafts project, complete with hand painted stenciling on its sides. After who-knows-how-many shots of vodka, I gathered the courage to board the plane and convinced myself that if this tin can didn’t unravel mid-flight, surely it would have issues on the tricky landing. Then, an unfamiliar calm came over me and I told myself that if I made it from point A to B in one piece, I had to give up being such an air travel baby. Sure enough, we made it to Tegucigalpa and I haven’t had to rely on pharmaceutical or liquid courage since. It doesn’t mean I don’t get nervous flying from time to time, but after that singular flight, I learned to stop worrying about something I have absolutely no control over. (Now, if only this mindset could apply to all aspects of my life, I’d be set.)
As I gear up to fly to Tegucigalpa to volunteer in less than three weeks (gulp), I call on this lesson learned as a reminder to be flexible, strong and open minded as I step outside of my comfort zone in all likelihood many times over the course of my 12 volunteer projects. I know this year will be filled with life-changing experiences, but this year is not all about me. It’s about helping and inspiring others to commit conscious acts of kindness in their travels. To quote H. Jackson Brown, Jr., “Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is.” That’s a good thing, because I’m very much a jump into the deep end of the pool without water wings kinda gal. So far, thankfully, I haven’t sunk.
Photo courtesy of egmTacahopeful via Flickr