Many people let their travel fears – flying, getting lost in new surroundings, not making the very best plans … – get in the way of a truly fabulous life. But, many 50+ women have overcome these fears to reap the rewards of traveling.
First, it is important to acknowledge that there are reasons to be afraid about travel to certain places such as countries deemed unsafe by the U.S. Department of State, http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis_pa_tw_1168.html. Also, it is best to avoid locations that have dangerous weather at certain times of the year, so it is a good idea to check http://www.weather.com or the website of your destination before leaving for your journey.
If you are afraid of flying, you are not alone. According to the Fear of Flying Clinic, http://www.fofc.com/, “One in eight Americans deliberately avoids commercial air-travel.” The Clinic, based in San Mateo, California, has a very high success rate in helping people overcome their fear of flying.
Some people are able to overcome their fear of flying without attending a special clinic. Two of my 50+ women friends are afraid to fly, but both have overcome these fears in order to enrich their lives through travel. Janie didn’t actually fly until she was 50+ when, bound and determined to attend an important family wedding, three-quarters of the country away, she did it. Now Janie wants to go to Italy and France!
Laura has traveled in the U.S. and abroad despite an intense fear of flying. Here is how she overcomes her fear:
- I do visualizations about people who fly often with no problem.
- I also visualize what I will do at the end of the trip once I’m on the ground again.
- Plus, I have a lot of metaphysical beliefs that I call on to help me – a lot of positive thinking, such as envisioning all the hundreds of flights taking off and landing safely at any one time.
- I do a lot of praying and ask family and friends to pray for me.
Another travel fear that some people, including me, have is getting lost in unfamiliar surroundings. This, of course, can be overcome by careful planning, a good map and a cell phone. Plus, finding your way around in new surroundings is part of what travel is about. As Amanda says, “One of my biggest thrills of travel is the feeling of being comfortable in a completely new and different environment – of being able to navigate my way and find what I need (food, a place to stay) and also have those serendipitous experiences that seem so much more common when you’re traveling.”
Another fear that plagues some people is that despite doing much research prior to making travel plans, they haven’t put together the very best trip. One person I know worries so much about this that she sometimes misses out on traveling to some great places!
The good news is that most people do overcome their travel fears and enjoy journeying all over the world. To all of us who do, BON VOYAGE!
Please share your tips for overcoming travel fears on the 50+Fabulous Community travel forum, http://www.50fabulous.com/forum/.
Happy Travels!
Susan
