Your next O/S trip - where will you go?
- Thread starter hobo
- Start date
If i were to travel overseas it would be Tasmania or anywhere by boat.
My fear of flying won't get me too far
Cheers Spades.
I had a crippling fear of flying. It came to a head on a flight home from the Italy to the UK where I spent the whole time crying like a 28 year old man-baby. Nothing to do with the flight, it was perfect flying. I got off that plane a shaking mess and vowed never to fly again.
When we decided to move to Australia I thought how on earth will I be able to get there!
In the end, I went to see a hypno-therapist and that's no mean feat coming from someone who is the biggest cynic going, but I wasn't going to let my fear stop our future in Australia and also had to at least try something to help.
Hypno-therapy is available on the UK NHS, so I figured there must be something in it if the government are willing to foot the bill for therapy, so I looked in the phone book for a therapist that was NHS registered.
I went there with the attitude that no way was it going to make any difference and it's all a load of hokum.
When I first arrived we had a good chat about what the issue with flying was etc, and the therapist explained that it usually triggered by a specific event like a passed bad flight. I didn't think this was the case as I'd flown a few times over the years and not had a particularly bad experience other than just not liking it, which built up to the point of the absolute terror that the Italy flight ended in.
So, the first session was what I expected a "typical" hypnotherapy session to be like, i.e. lie back on a couch and be talked into a relaxed state by the therapist (which was actually very enjoyable), then she asked me questions about what flight I was on, how I was felling etc to try and find that passed trigger. Nothing happened, nothing worked. Even though I wasn't expecting anything from going, I 'woke up' felling very disappointed and still scared witless of flying.
She suggested we try another session but try something called "positive reinforcement". So, the next week I went along again, with the same fear and the same cynical attitude but the way she explained the positive reinforcement session sounded interesting. Essentially, she talked me into a relaxed state, (now, I.m not saying I was 'hypnotized' here, I could hear everything that was going on and was in complete control of everything and thought to myself I could open my eyes anytime if I want, but the peculiar thing was I didn't...it was a nice feeling, just super relaxed. Anyway, once relaxed she essentially walked me through a flight from leaving the house to landing at the destination. All the while saying how excited I was, and telling me to imagine each part of the journey and looked around me at the staff and other passengers, all with smiles on their faces and happy and that the anxious knot in my stomach was excitement and not fear. During the session she talked me through maybe 2 to 3 trips from home to hotel in the same manner.
When I came up off the couch I had this awesome feeling of excitement about going on a flight, like super excited, I could have gone straight to the airport! We flew from the UK to Australia a few weeks later and I loved ever second of the flight there and back. A few months after that we left the UK for good via the USA and South America and made something like 10 flights on our way over, including some very dodgy ones up in the Andes and I loved every second of every one!
That was 6 years ago. Over the last few years I've started worrying about flying again, probably due to not doing it often now. I'm OK about it, but don't relish it like I did in the short term after the therapy. What I do now is in the weeks prior to flying I sit and relax and mentally go through that positive routine again and it really helps.
Anyway, to cut a long story short, if you really want to go overseas and the flights are the only hing stopping you, try some positive reinforcement therapy and give it a go, and believe me, if you knew me you'd be surprised to hear me say that as I say, I am such a cynic with these things and turned to it in desperation, but it worked for me.
Sim
Administrator
Argentina is great - going anywhere in particular? It's a big country with very diverse landscapes and interesting cultures - it's not simply Spanish speakers everywhere, large parts of Argentina (and Chile) were settled by Europeans throughout the 1800s and early-mid 1900s, with large numbers of Italians and quite a few Germans adding to the Spanish mix.
There are entire communities where you would swear you were in part of Europe rather than a Spanish speaking South American country. We found similar in parts of southern Chile.
My daughters have both just come back from very extensive trips in South America- and absolutely loved it all.
It's been an eye opener for me. I really knew very little about the continent- and some of the things they have seen have been absolutely astounding.
That includes Argentina- but they only had the time left to see a little bit of it.
whoops.missed.these.messages!..Sim,.im.going.to.buenos.aires.(to.live.for.a.few.years).so.mostly.there.but.ill.try.to.see.as.much.as.the.country.as.i.can...very.happy.to.hear.its.so.much.like.europe!
The path less troden.
Iran/Armenia via Russia and China this year.
Have quite a few obstacles ahead with my visa. My travel agent was freaking out. Due to family circumstances, if I don't do it right I'll either be arrested or put in military service.
Also NZ for the snow. My GF is an avid snowboarder. I've never been.
Iran/Armenia via Russia and China this year.
Have quite a few obstacles ahead with my visa. My travel agent was freaking out. Due to family circumstances, if I don't do it right I'll either be arrested or put in military service.
Also NZ for the snow. My GF is an avid snowboarder. I've never been.
We're headed off to London in July via Dubai, hubby and 2 children going back after 15 years, we lived there for 6 years before we moved to Sydney. Then on to Paris, Barcelona ourselves before joining a 2 week bus tour which will give us a taste of Europe, our first trip that way so pretty excited.
Europe
Hi, we're off to europe doing the river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest, then flying to Venice to get on the Mediterranean cruise Round the Greek Islands. We've not been to Europe before so are going with class. Hopefully we will identify where we might return to later in a less prestigious way. Come on August!!
Hi, we're off to europe doing the river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest, then flying to Venice to get on the Mediterranean cruise Round the Greek Islands. We've not been to Europe before so are going with class. Hopefully we will identify where we might return to later in a less prestigious way. Come on August!!
I thought you've been there loads of times, you looked comfortable on that elephant in Samui? Check out Laos and Cambodia if you have a SEA itch and want to avoid concrete and rip offs everywhere like what Thailand has turned into.
Just travelled from Serbia, spent a few days in lake como and Zurich. Currently in geneva, travelling to Monaco, Venice and then back home
Going around the US and Canada next month for 4 weeks.
Seeing next year is my choice, looking at Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Anyone want to share their experiences as I have a rough idea of what places to visit but would love to hear peoples thoughts.
Seeing next year is my choice, looking at Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Anyone want to share their experiences as I have a rough idea of what places to visit but would love to hear peoples thoughts.
I didn't realise that you were coming to Canberra ;-)
