I started out working in a job where I traveled frequently. I flew at least twice a week, went abroad almost every month, attended meetings, worked constant overtime, and was part of a fast-moving industry in a position that had an upward trajectory.
One day, while on a routine flight, sudden air turbulence hit our plane. I heard a mixture of screams and laughter, and I remember seeing my phone float away from my hand for a fraction of a second. I’d been through a lot of turbulence before and was never bothered by it. I often wondered why people were so afraid of flying. It’s the safest way to travel, I would think.
The next day, on my flight home, I suddenly felt my heart beating fast and loud. I wasn’t sure what was happening. The entire flight I kept my eyes closed and prayed. The two-hour journey felt like ten hours. When I landed, it felt like I had just survived a brush with death.
I had no idea what to do, so I kept it to myself. I had developed flight anxiety, and I decided to keep it a secret because I was worried it might affect my career. I endured it for an entire year, but in the end, I couldn’t bear it anymore.
I quit my job and started looking for online work.
From then on, I avoided flying. I explained to everyone that I had become anxious about it, and that’s how I lived my life for the next several years—avoiding airplanes, avoiding airports, and avoiding the skies.