Confession :: Not a Fan of Flying

Confession :: Not a Fan of Flying!

Next week I will be flying out for the PBS Kids annual meeting in Miami, Florida as part of their PBS Kids VIP Ambassador Program.  Recently, they asked me if I would like to become a member of this group and as many of you know, I love PBS Kids!  Their programs are rich with great characters and quite educational such as Word Girl (love her sidekick monkey Captain Huggyface) and Wild Kratts: Creature Power.

So off I go to Miami (minus a pink bikini – yes, I have an image of Miami in my head) to spend a few days with the folks who produce and create the PBS  shows, such as the producers of the new show PEG + CAT.  I might even have a chance to meet with the creative at Sesame Street and Big Bird in person!  My daughter is going to love that picture. Who am I kidding! I am going to love meeting Big Bird and will probably feel five years old again!

That being said, I am not a fan of flying.  I use to love to fly in my younger days.  For me,  it was the ultimate sense of freedom – just jump on a plane and be in another state or country in a matter of hours.  But sometime between my late 20’s to early 30’s this changed.  The turning point might have been the flight I was taking from Tokyo, Japan to Bangkok, Thailand, where I stayed for a few weeks to wait for my work visa for Japan.  I chose to fly with China Airlines as it had the cheapest flights, but unfortunately it was around the time one of their planes had crashed on the runway in Japan. Hmmm…  you would think this would come into my thought process when choosing which airline to fly with – but I still had that feeling of being indestructible in my mid 20’s. Anyhow, let’s just say that flight was extremely frightening and bumpy.  I prayed a couple times and since then I have not been too keen on getting on a plane

That being said, I am looking forward to spending a few days on my own, hanging with Big Bird, but in order to prepare for the trip and flying I checked out some stress-reducing tips via The Huffington Post. I hope these help and keep me distracted from my fear of flying.  That and I might have to get some liquid courage…

Tips to Reduce Your Stress on a Business Trip:

Recent research from the CWT Travel Solutions Group found that  flying economy on medium or long-haul flights, and getting to the airport or train station, were the most stressful aspects of business trips. But business trips don’t have to be something you come to dread. If you travel for work, being prepared in advance can go a long way in making the experience more pleasant. Here are five tips they offer to help reduce your stress your stress.