A freshly built snowman is adorned with plant leaves in downtown Juneau on Sunday, Nov. 25.
Story last updated at 11/28/2012 - 3:16 pm
At least since junior high school I've wanted to learn to fly an airplane. It's been one of those passive dreams. The kind that aren't a total priority, but a "someday it'd be neat to."
The more I fly, the more I realize it's not going to work out. I spend at least half the flight - no matter the aircraft - with my eyes closed, trying to nap. Not because I'm tired, because I'm afraid I'll turn green and decorate the inside of an airsick bag.
I've done that once. That was a trip to Sitka where I never got off the plane. Someone suggested it might be like how when people get seasick on a boat, they're fine as soon as they get on dry land. Nope. When I got back to Juneau I didn't feel human again until the next afternoon. That was a huge bummer missing the actual trip.
I've tried a few different airsick medications, and the only one that's worked for me was discontinued in pill form. Don't you just love it when they take a medication off the market that actually worked - that also didn't give you the litany of potential side effects that are lengthily listed on the prescription tab?
My latest excursion was to Haines and the trip there I had my full-strength medication. It was a good flight, and I was mostly just drowsy from the medication. The return flight I used over-the-counter medication. I fought being sick pretty hard.
Either way, I haven't really experienced a flight that's been fun.
So I find myself giving up on a life goal, and oddly enough, I'm OK with that. With as many things as there are to learn and enjoy in this world, I'm sure I'll find something to fill that line in the list.
I suppose I could still take lessons and learn to fly in case my life ever goes Hollywood and I need to know it for some kind of gallant rescue, but the chance of that happening is about the same as winning that Powerball lottery that's gotten so big in the states that have one. It's not happenin'.
Maybe I'll just stick with one of my simpler, grounded goals of learning to play an instrument, another foreign language or how to dance.
