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Last year we published our first long weekend calendar, so you could start planning ahead for all those trips you've been wanting to take without having to dip to far into your vacation days. You can also revisit that post for other helpful tips so you can travel more, even without more vacation days or having to quite your job = win win.
And now,it's that time of year again, and the new calendar is out! Pin, print it, put it on your fridge. Whatever you do, don't let those long weekends go to waste, and don't forget to travel happy! XO, Skeeter
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Hey there Happy Travelers! Today we are bringing you a guide to help you uderstand and overcome a fear of flying. Fear of flying is really common and can seriously limit your ability to travel. Our own Happy Traveler writer Liz, posted a while back about her own issues with flying Some people experience a fear so profound that they literally will never board an airplane. In the case of some other individuals, the level of fear is not quite as significant. Nonetheless, these individuals tend to be unable to fly without being medicated in some manner. Understanding the fear of flying necessitates a consideration of a number of factors. Overcoming the fear of flying can take some time and effort, as well as professional intervention in some case. Fear of Flying: Phobia or Fright Psychologists and other medical professionals make a distinction between a rational fear and an irrational one. An irrational fear oftentimes is called a phobia by these experts and professionals. In a nutshell, a phobia is the fear of something that in and of itself is not inherently dangerous. For example, being fearful of a loaded gun may be considered a rational fear because this type of weapon is inherently dangerous. In fact, it is intended to be so. This line of reasoning can be extended to aircraft and flying. Airplanes in and of themselves are not inherently dangerous. Indeed, they are designed specifically to be safe modes of transport. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders defines a phobia specifically as: "an anxiety disorder classification that represents unreasonable or irrational fear related to a specific object or situation." Fear of flying has been the term used by laypeople and psychological and other medical professionals for decades. Some of these professionals have taken to adopting a term like aerophobia or aviophobia to denote a fear of flying. Triggers Associated with a Fear of Flying As is the case with other types of phobias, triggers exist that cause a person to experience an irrational fear of flying. These triggers necessarily vary somewhat from one individual to the next. However, there is a sense of commonality among these triggers experienced by people who have a fear of flying. For some individuals, the very thought of taking a plane flight is enough to trigger anxiety and fear. On the other hand, for other people, a more concrete step towards taking an actual flight must occur as a trigger to anxiety and fear. For example, making a flight reservation may be the trigger. There are a number of people who have a phobia around flying that do not really experience symptoms until they arrive at the airport or are en route. In addition, there are individuals who might be considered to have a more controlled fear of flying. These individuals very well may be able to board a plane and keep their anxiety and fear in check. However, if there is an unidentifiable noise in flight, actual indicative of nothing dangerous or even significant, a person could nonetheless experience a full blown irrational, fear based response to that situation. Addressing a Fear of Flying The least desirable way of addressing a fear of flying is to avoid flying. In the end, that represents avoidance of the issue and not addressing it directly or resolving it. However, for some people, this is the only course that seems to work for them. As mentioned previously, there exist medications that can be helpful in controlling the symptoms associated with a fear of flying. Anti-anxiety medications are the primary types of medications used towards this end. Psychotherapy or talk therapy represents another avenue a person with a fear of flying can take to resolve the issue, or at least attempt to do so. Indeed, there are therapists who specialize in treating phobias of different types, including an irrational fear of flying. In some cases, an individual will be treated with medication and engage in psychotherapy as means of addressing a fear of flying. Some individuals report that they benefit from contemplative practices like meditation or yoga. These tend to be people with a lesser degree of fear associated with flying. These individuals typically do not engage in these practices on the eve of flying but on an ongoing basis. Yoga and meditation are not practices that can have a beneficial impact on a person when done occasionally and in the short term. The positive impact of these practices tend to be accumulative over time. When you have a very strong fear, it's hard to rationalize with statistics that show that air travel is very safe. If your fear of flying is keeping you for seeing the world and experiencing life like you'd like, now may be the time to start facing these head on.
Have you overcome a fear of flying? Let us know in the comments what's worked for you. Thanks to our friends over at Miami Helicopter for sharing their tips on overcoming a fear of flying. And no matter where you go, don't forget to travel happy! XO, Sketer Hey there Happy Travelers! So, I just got back from Aruba. I'm so excited to share with you all that I learned about that happy little island so that you can plan your own awesome Caribbean adventure. But FIRST! I have some other news to share with you. Just before I left for Aruba, I received an awesome and new little travel accessory. For frequent travelers and people who just love to be beautifully organized, this is going to change the way you travel. It's Origami Unicorn's TUO organizer. Not only is it cleverly designed, but it's sleek and beautiful as well. This little video gives you a pretty great run-down of all the ways you can use it.
As you can see, it's a great little system for organizing all your undergarments, swimsuits, belts, etc. In one easy bag. But, I actually ended up using it a bit differently.
I decided to use it for all my little odds and ends that I didn't have a good way to pack. So, I used all the individual elastic pouches for things like earrings, necklaces, hair ties, my deodorant, nail clippers, etc. I even had a pouch for my emergency battery charger and an outlet converter. For the larger sections, I had my tooth brush ,hair brush, and all my non-liquid make-up. When we got to our room in Aruba, I hung the bag up just like in the video and used it every. single. day. It was so nice keeping everything organized and in one spot. I also got a lot of use out the the little laundry bag. It was perfect for keeping dirty socks and underwear separate. It's so easy to have things end up all strewn about in a hotel room after a few days. But, because I kept everything in my TUO organizer, it stayed nice and orderly. AND it made it super easy to pack when It was time to go home. And anything that can make the process of coming home from vacation easier, gets a gold star in my book. Another big bonus is it's sleek design. I was actually able to slide it into the laptop compartment of my carry-on backpack...and I still had room for my iPad. Honestly, this bag is my new favorite.
I have the bag in the Signature White color. Which is really pretty, but they also have several other really nice designs. The Blue Leaf signature is especially gorgeous. It arrived beautifully packaged and is made with clearly high quality materials, strong clasps and excellent craftsmanship.
I'm going to be using it on all my trips now, for short weekend getaways and longer journeys. I'm so glad I have one! You can look at their full range of bags onOrigami Unicorn's site. If you follow any of the links provided in this article, and decide to get one of these great bags for yourself, we do get a small commission, but the price you pay is the same. If you have any questions about the TUO Organizer, please let us know in the comments, I was really excited to give it a try and share it will all of you. Coming up, I will have posts on Aruba and the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival!! Keep up to date with where we are by following us on instagram @2happytravelers. And as always, don't forget to travel happy! XO, Skeeter |
Skeeter
Hi there! I'm Skeeter. I grew up moving a lot and that makes me a bit restless for travel and exploration. I started this blog with my husband Pat when we decided to backpack New Zealand for a year. We are always looking for the next adventure and are loving life. We're just your average couple with two sassy dogs and a love for travel. We're sharing our travels and the tips we pick up along the way. LIZHello! I'm Liz. Blogging is very new to me, but I'm so excited to finally write as much as I talk! Archives
December 2016
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