This summer I faced one of my greatest fears. I learned that if someone really wants to go somewhere they will do anything! My whole life I have been afraid of heights and hated riding on an airplane. I’m not the only one who feels this way, Nearly 1 in 3 adult Americans are either anxious about flying (18.1%) or just afraid to fly (12.6%). Imagine being terrified of flying and having to do it all alone. I had the opportunity to visit my sister in Las Vegas but there was a catch… I had to fly all by myself!

Flying alone is something that no one really enjoys but I knew I had to do it. The day came and I was so anxious. This wasn’t very new to my life though because I tend to be anxious a lot. More than 3 million Americans suffer from anxiety. I woke up at around 5 in the morning to make sure I had everything packed. Usually I eat a huge breakfast but this morning I was feeling queasy. I took a handful of grapes from the refrigerator and began to load my bags in the car. My mom and I got in the car and drove to Dallas Love Airport.
     

As soon as we pulled into the airport we started to rush because we did not want to be late. We checked my bags and then stood in line to go through security. I looked around and realized that I wasn’t the only kid flying alone. After I had finally gotten through security my hands were starting to shake and sweat. I got to my gate and waited which was definitely the worst part! After waiting for about 30 minutes, I got on the plane.
     

This was the moment of truth.The airplane was a ring that gets stuck on your finger because once you get it on it takes a while to get off. As I was stepping on the plane, I made my game plan. I wanted to sit near the front with an aisle seat but also had to sit next to someone nice. I sat next to two pleasant ladies and we began to make small talk. The next thing I know we were in the air!
     

I started to freak out a little bit but I knew I had to keep cool. We started to hit lots of turbulence and I thought we were going to crash and die! Did you know that 96% of passengers survive airline accidents? The plane finally started to land and I felt lots of relief. This is when I came to the realization that no one should be afraid to fly alone. I actually enjoy flying alone and would for sure do it again. I’m so proud of myself for not letting fear ruin my trip to the beautiful Las Vegas!