Planes, Pinelands and Panic Attacks

I'm blogging from sunny Southern New Jersey! I arrived yesterday (thank you Victor) around 4:30pm and got off the plane to a very sunny, cool, breezy, non-humid NJ. Man, how I've missed this place (really). The woods, the trees, the sounds of the different birds and bugs...it's nice to be back even for a day or so. I haven't flown in about 5 years. My, how things have changed. Didn't know you couldn't bring water through security, so I had four bottles of water and a can of hairspray (an expensive can of hairspray) comfiscated right off the bat. They told me I could keep the stuff and just check the bag but I immediately thought of Focker and what happened to him when he checked his bag so decided no, not worth it. Since I was flying stand-by, there was no guarantee I was getting a seat. It was close at the end since it was a full flight, but the lovely lady at the check-in counter came over smiling with a seat assignment for me about 25 minutes prior to boarding-yay! I was very nervous, however. I never really liked flying, does anyone? I mean, I know SOME do or they wouldn't work in the industry, but does the majority? Fear, anxiety, what-ifs, etc started going through my mind right then and there. Did I tell everyone I loved them? Do I have a will? (answer: NO), you know, the usual thoughts that go through your head a half hour before you're going to crash and die. Then I started panic-texting. Here is a text I sent to my sister-in-law: Please kiss the kids for me and tell them I love them. Make sure they go to college and don't marry skanky trollups. She texted back lol. you are fine. I wasn't fine! I was scared and thought about making a run for it. But then they called my "zone" and I boarded. I was seat 18B, right in between a lovely woman and a nice man with CHRONIC HALITOSIS. OMG. This is going to be a long flight with that breath, I thought to myself. I got a little dizzy at one point and thought I was going to pass out when we took off-a feeling I was never fond of. So, I turned on my Ipod as loud as it goes and shut my eyes. And somehow it ended up being the best, non-eventful flight I've ever taken. Thank you Spirit Airlines.