The Scariest Plane Ride by Sue DeCrescenzo Earlier in my travel adventures, ok when I was a kid, vomit was always involved. Every summer, seven kids and my folks would pile in the VW bus and travel from New Jersey to Maine to our summer home. And no matter how hard I tried not to I would get car sick. My Dad would give me Dramamine, which would make me sleepy, but as soon as I woke up, I get sick again. I loved going to ME so I endured the motion sickness as best I could. Finally, when I learned how to drive, I “outgrew” that nauseous feeling. However, to this day, I can’t sit backwards or read while a car is in motion.
So why am I telling you about vomit? You probably figured out that flying in an airplane also includes getting motion sickness. When I flew for the first time, I got sick on myself, on the person next to me and even gave a flight attendant or two.
Vomiting was not limited to driving in a car. It also happened on amusement park rides and of course boats. I am fine on a lake. However, if it’s on the ocean, the boat must keep moving. As soon as the boat stops and we’re rocking on the waves, I turn as green as the Chicago River on St. Paddy’s Day. This limits whale watching trips or treks to islands off the coast of ME. And I’m proud to say that I’ve done both, but the Captain and the crew always make some wise crack about me leaving “chum” for the fish.
The scariest plane ride I experienced cured me of getting sick on planes. Let me explain. I was returning from a great European adventure. I was relaxed, but ready to get home and share my adventures. The plane was full, and I was in the middle seat between a woman who gave off the vibe, don’t talk to me and the biggest, meanest biker dude I’ve ever seen. You know the type with greasy hair, a million tats and lots of piercings. The pilot made the announcements and the flight attendants informed everyone to fasten their seat belts. My typical flight ritual consists of making sure that there is a puke bag in the seat pocket. Take offs are not too bad; landings are always a challenge. Since it would be hours before we descended, I breathed a sigh of relief - 32 -
