About the course...

So the course has finished and I feel like I've been run over by a steam roller (yeah, I know they don't exist anymore). The pros - I've learnt a heap about how planes work and it's demystified a great deal about flying. I've learnt a number of techniques to help keep calm. I've learnt that I have to change my thought patterns around flying. I now know I'm not the only one in the world who isn't a comfortable flyer. We got to have a great look around the airport - both the maintenence side and through the back of International - arrivals/departures etc. Con's - you are still the one who has to get on the plane - I still don't know if I can do that...I need to practice the techniques that we've learnt and have them become habits (we are all bad breather's (kiwi's that is - Australians are much better at it!), gotta breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth - we do this as babies and lose it about four). I need to desensitize myslef a bit - spend some time in lifts etc, practicing these techniques me thinks.

I think it would be a brilliant course for those who are just uncomfortable with flying but can make themselves do it. Then you would be totally comfortable.

There were ten of us on the course and today is an optional flight to Welly and back. Four of us booked. I pulled out last night. I'm pretty sure one of the other girls will have pulled out this morning. (She had said that if the weather wasn't nice she wasn't going - the weather ain't nice!) Only one person on our course has actually got an upcoming flight booked (to Aus). She doesn't mind flying but won't use the toilet on a plane...she can build up to this, start with just washing her hands etc... There were two teachers on this course, a lawyer, a bussiness analyst (for Air NZ), a web designer, someone who works for the Justice system, an insurance underwriter, an HR manager...all successful highly motivated people - all with huge stress levels. The other teacher was on leave - on refreshment leave - a nice name for stress leave...We did a stress test - it should be up to 120 (it's a point system), mine was 568...I think I might need to make some changes. Six hundered was apparently the highest score he'd seen since doing these... I did not think I was that stressed LOL! Roll on Christchurch.

Right I need to spend this wet day doing a bit more packing and then have a wee catch up nana nap. Apparently the milk cannot be found in the pantry...like my tired brain thought this morning and nor will my toothbrush be found in my jewellery drawer...Hope I don't pack the cat...