To me, travel is all about experiencing moments I will remember for the rest of my life. Sometimes, that means taking risks and doing things completely out of my comfort zone.
During our last trip to Alaska, my in-laws suggested we do a glacier landing in Talkeetna, Alaska. My nerves kicked in immediately. As much as I love traveling, I hate flying. I start worrying about it months in advance, and getting on the plane always feels like a huge accomplishment. I especially hate take off and landing, so the idea of landing on a glacier in a small plane was as comforting as jumping into a tank full of hungry sharks.
On the day of our glacier landing, I still didn’t know if I was going to do it. I was so nervous that I couldn’t concentrate on the gorgeous scenery on the way from Anchorage to Talkeetna (thankfully, I got to see it on the way back). As we went through the safety briefing with
Talkeetna Air Taxi, I started to feel a little better. Our pilot had flown with the company for over 30 years, and the company knows the weather in the area and doesn’t hesitate to cancel flights if it is too dangerous to fly.
At first, flying so close to mountains and glaciers was intimidating. I tried so hard not to close my eyes. As soon as I mustered up the courage to look outside, I couldn’t look away. The scenery was absolutely majestic.
Landing on Pika Glacier was an incredible experience. Getting off the plane in our sunglasses and snowshoes to see beautiful untouched powdery snow for miles was breathtaking. We had so much fun waddling around with our snowshoes in the deep snow, throwing massive snowballs at each other, and feeling tiny surrounded by such a huge landscape.
On the flight back, I absolutely loved taking in the beauty of the area. At that point, I was no longer scared and actually wished the flight would last longer. I never thought I would say this, but if I had the chance I would do it all over again.
Has travel ever made you face your fears?
That's breathtaking! What a beautiful place. I feel the same way about traveling and planes, but for me it's because I'm petrified of heights. If I'm standing on a chair to reach something and look down, I get scared. So I don't know if I would have been able to do that glacier landing even with how beautiful it looks!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, that looks so amazing. We did a helicopter landing on a glacier which was awesome. I totally would want to do the plane one, too. Even though I hate flying.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh!!! This is so awesome! Glad you were able to snap such great pics of the experience!
ReplyDeleteoh my goodness. this looks terrifying but amazing.
ReplyDeletei used to ride roller coasters ALL the time with my eyes closed. because I was too afraid to open them. But they weren't fun, so I started opening my eyes and yes it was scary but it was so much better! I know that they arent the same things, and I am scared of flying as well - I am not sure if I could be this ballsy lol. Go you!
oh my gosh - what a view you had!! Seriously what an experience!! xo, Biana - BlovedBoston
ReplyDeleteHoly cow! Those photos are amazing! Full confession: I'm not a huge fan of flying either and hate the take offs and landings. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's so comforting to hear I'm not the only one scared of flying! It was definitely worth it for this experience, though! :)
DeleteThat is so cool! Congrats on overcoming your fear. :)
ReplyDeleteWow, so unbelievably gorgeous! I've never been to Alaska before, but it's definitely on my bucket list. I also hate flying, but for different reasons - I get horrible motion-sickness! Now I know to take a Dramamine, but let's just say that lesson was learned the hard way a few too many times.
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Girl this looks amazing!!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm going Skydiving in Thailand... I'm absolutely terrified but so excited!
Small planes give me anxiety too but those scenes are gorgeous! What a fun and breathtaking adventure!
ReplyDeleteWow!!!! Congratulations girl! That looks like an amazing experience and conquering your fears!!!
ReplyDeleteWow, that must of been an amazing adventure! These pictures are gorgeous. It is amazing what we can do when we don't let our fears control us.
ReplyDeleteYou are too cute, what an adventure! Good for you! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ashley! I will definitely remember this forever. :)
DeleteWhat an incredible experience!
ReplyDeleteTaking off and landing are my favorite part of flying, but I get why they're scary to you.
Wow! What a cool adventure!! You shared some beautiful pictures!! Alaska is such a stunning state! :)
ReplyDeleteOmgoodness - I have been experiencing travel anxiety (primarily driving) for the last 6 months, and I don't think I could have handled this. Props to you, girl!
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