Got this cute Snoopy picture at www.gasolinealleyantiques.com/

Flying Fever 2

It was only until I was eight that I got to ride on another plane. This time, it was a wide-bodied aircraft, a B747, bound for L.A. The excitement I felt then was overwhelming. I could remember it was pure torture to wait for two hours before we could board the plane. It even came to a point when I just sat down on the floor of the waiting room and stared blankly at the ceiling.
When it was finally boarding time, I was really happy. My sister and I literally bounced into the bridge-like thing (the term has escaped me at the moment) and into the huge aircraft. I could still remember the feeling of the cold air-conditioning system as it hit my face when I entered the aircraft. I remember fighting with my sister over the window seat, and ending up losing and sitting on the middle seat. But, oh was the seat so comfortable. It was totally different from the first plane I rode on. The first one was a bit cramped, but the second one was really heavenly.
Just when I was getting really comfortable, the plane started to taxi down the runway. Soon enough, the plane was preparing for take off. I dreaded the nauseous feeling I thought I was going to have. When the plane took off, I didn’t feel sick at all. Instead, an even better feeling overtook my senses. The rush of taking off was amplified. It was like gravity was desperately trying to pull the plane down but was unable to do so. It felt something like a roller coaster ride, but so much better.
When the plane reached cruising altitude, the feeling was entirely different. The atmosphere in the cabin was peaceful, and I felt almost as light as air. When I stood up just to know what it felt like, I was surprised with what I discovered. In a flying airplane, you can feel the floor of the cabin against the soles of your shoes, but you can’t feel anything below that. It’s like riding on Aladdin’s magic carpet. You’re stepping on it, but there’s nothing underneath it. It’s a totally different rush.
But in truth, I have to say the whole flight is actually uneventful, especially if you have to fly for more than half a day. The in-flight movies were useless. I was eight then and they were showing Jurassic Park on the big screen in the middle of the cabin. I was so frightened with the movie that I refused to wear the headset while I watched it.
And the food! Oh the food tasted like Styrofoam (not that I ever ate Styrofoam before) with a little salt. It was awful! The only thing I liked in the menu was the glass of Coke. I guess that’s what you get when you travel economy class (and when choose PAL as your carrier :p).
It only got exciting again when we were about to land. I felt that same rush again, but this time, it was coupled with the thrill of finally stepping onto foreign soil. I felt the weariness and the ache of sitting on my butt all those long hours vanish when we made our landing in L.A. It was also actually fun to watch the big bags and suitcases go round and round the carousel, and even pretty exciting to spot your own bags and chase after them. After that, we had a really fun vacation. We also went to San Diego and to San Francisco and to every child’s heaven, Disneyland. Obviously, the trip back to the Philippines paled in comparison to the trip to the US. Nevertheless, the thrill of flying was still there.