The First Flight...and second...and third 5/17/2014

One of my fears for this trip was flying.  I am deeply afraid of heights and of flying, so I was very unsure of how it would go.  Our first flight was from Springfield to Chicago.  I did not sleep at all the night before because of nerves and having to be at the airport at 4:30 am.  The plane was very tiny with rows of single seats.  Needless to say, I was terrified and the flight attendant had me on her radar from the beginning.  She tried to keep me informed of everything going on and she kept eye contact with me at all times, to make sure I was doing okay.  I would like to think she was worried about my needs, but I am pretty sure she was worried I would panic and make a scene.  All in all, other than the few loud gasps, tight grips, and a couple of minor screams, I felt pretty good about the experience.  Here is a picture of me on the tiny plane, before take-off.

The second flight was much better, and the plane was much larger!  We flew from Chicago to Houston. We met the pilot while waiting during our four hour layover at the Chicago airport.  He was very nice and since I was a nervous flyer, he invited me and a couple of the girls to come into the front of the plane, sit in the pilot’s seat, and he even gave me some wings for my kiddos, and some extra wings for us as well.  

Our final flight for the day was from Houston to Costa Rica.  It was the longest flight yet and was in a nice, big airplane, which I have quickly discovered to be much less nerve-racking than the tiny ones.  By the third flight, I felt like a pro and was no longer scared, as much, of the flight although that landing gets me every time.  I got to see the sun setting over the wing of the plane, which was a breathtaking sight.

After a long day of flights, layovers, and just pure exhaustion, we finally arrived in Costa Rica.  The first thing I noticed was the hot and sticky air, but of course we are in a rain forest.  We made it through customs and onto our hotel and were all very eager to get some much needed sleep!  Tomorrow, we are going to the La Paz Waterfall Gardens.