When I was in graduate school I was offered a job traveling around the west coast giving speeches about the seminary and encouraging people to donate. This involved many drives from and within the San Francisco Bay area. But, then it began meaning taking flights to various cities.
My mother had instilled in me a major fear of flying (along with a variety of other fears). We even took the train across the whole of the United States to avoid flying. Now, I had to get on a PSA plane and fly to Los Angeles International Airport. (There I would rent a car and make several visits before returning home to SFO.)
My very first flight saw me terrified in the airport waiting to leave. We boarded the plane (a 727 I think), taxied out, and took off. It was amazing. It was wonderful. I did not tell my mother that I was doing this sort of "stunt" for many months. I therefore did not tell her that I really liked it.
I suppose after, I have no idea how many, flights I don't exactly love it as much. The planes are more crowded, the airports crazy, the meals not as good, and seat pitch is about half - or it seems so at my age. But I still like to taxi out and take off for a different place and it all started with that first flight to LAX.
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