Airplanes are amazing.

Definition: A vehicle designed for air travel that has wings and one or more engines.

I used to love to watch airplanes as a child; flying across the sky, landing and taking off to who knows where. It always made my imagination waunder and I’d wish I could go on a trip to many places.

While in junior high school one of my teachers had his pilot license. He offered to take several of us students for a ride in his airplane. One thing he required was a note written by a parent stating that they would be ok with him taking us. I got the note and couldn’t wait to fly. I believe there were 3 of us kids. We all met the teacher after school, and he drove us out to the airport.

I felt no fear. I was so excited to fly! It was such an unusual experience. Something I’d never felt before. The teacher flew in a small twin engine airplane. He did a few tricks like climbing straight up and then coming down fast. We felt weightless when we came down fast. It was one of the first experiences I’ve ever had that I felt so adventurous. As I look back on it now, I’m surprised my Mom let me go, but I had so much fun and was so glad I went.

While growing up we really never took airplanes on trips. If we went, which wasn’t very often, we drove. Flying was too expensive. We went to Oregon, Washington, California, and even back to Minnesota, all in the comfort of our family car. No A/C, no seatbelts, just windows down and music playing. All of our trips took days, or weeks.

Just out of high school I flew with my best friend Julie to St. George. Her Dad had a pilots license and flew us down. I had barely had to have stitches in my knee from a horseback riding accident, and had to thread my left leg through the middle of the two front seats. That was an adventure. At least it didn’t take very long to get there.

My first commercial airplane ride was when I left on my mission. I was so blessed to represent my Savior and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I served in the Texas, San Antonio Mission. I was excited to fly there, but nervous to leave home. It was so different than the little twin engine plane I road in with my teacher in junior high school. I served my mission for 18 months. All of us missionaries would keep track of who was getting close to going home, and tease them about being “Trunky” which means you’re having a hard time working and concentrating on finishing your mission with gusto, because you couldn’t wait to leave and fly home. It is a real thing that happens, but I think all missionaries try to stay focused and finish with honor and dignity. So when the other missionaries found out I was leaving soon they would tease me. They called my going home -on a airplane and not returning my “Deplanage”. They bought me a little tie tac that was an airplane and made me wear it. It was all in good fun and the airplane ride home from my mission was wonderful!

Since then I’ve flown on planes many times. It is more nerve racking now than it was back in my younger years. I don’t really like the “leaving” part of going on trips, I love to be home. Once I’m there though, I’m so glad I’m there and really enjoy the trip and the places we see.

One of the best things about airplanes is that they take us to places we may never be able to go to in our lives if we couldn’t fly there. I’ve been so blessed to fly to San Antonio, Boston, Seattle, Atlanta, Charleston, Los Angeles, and New York. They allow us to experience the “trips of a life time” and for a lot of us that is such a grand experience!