I had one of the most frightening experiences of my life just a week and a half ago, but I have lived to tell about it.

Two weeks ago Wednesday I had my first flying experience when I took a trip to Orlando, and the following Sunday I had flying experience numbers two and three, in the form of a connecting flight en route to Charleston.

Yes, I will be 22 years old in just under a month and I had never been on a plane before, never been in an airport – nothing. Some of my friends were surprised I had made it this far in my life having never been on a plane.

I did travel when I was little, but never on a plane. My early childhood was highlighted by visits to Washington D.C., New York City and California, among other destinations, but we always drove.

As the plane took off, I tried to keep all the visions of every plane crash I have seen on TV or in the movies out of my head as well as concentrating on breathing and not bursting into tears.

Once we were off the ground and finally done ascending, it was smooth sailing, for the most part. We went through a storm on the way into Orlando, and the plane shook a lot and the pilot kept ascending and turning and I was concentrating on not looking out the window. Luckily I did not have a window seat.

The flights home weren’t so bad. In fact, upon taking off on the connecting flight from Atlanta to Indianapolis, I watched outside the plane as it went up through the clouds.

My ears will never be the same. Upon each landing, it took awhile for my ears to return to normal. By the time we landed in Indianapolis at the conclusion of the trip, I was tired of chewing, and did not chew gum as I had been advised. Bad idea – it took a good day or so for my ears to recover.

Maybe this really wasn’t my most frightening experience ever – I’m sure I’ll have worse experiences as I get older – but I’m not in a big hurry to get on another plane anytime soon.

It truly was a step back into childhood, as a member of my group made sure I was recognized as a “first flyer,” complete with a certificate and a wings sticker.

On a side note, I also was able to visit Disneyworld for the first time during my visit.

Going to the airport the morning we departed, I thought about changing my mind, about just turning around and going home. But there was no way I would pass up this opportunity. I had also forked over a pretty penny for the ticket. So I faced my fears and experienced something new.

Life is all about new experiences. Just as I am observing my last experiences in college, I am experiencing new things too. We all are. I recently experienced my first flight, and soon I will have my first real job. I’ll eventually get married and have kids.

As I’m preparing to graduate, I am dwelling on what I’m doing for the last time, what I will likely never do again. But there really isn’t any reason for me or anyone else to do that, because our lives are just beginning.