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boarding pass; the gate is just over there.”
    “Thank you.”
    The barrier through security seemed like yet another impenetrable wall taking Cindy further and further away from all that was familiar to her and into a brave new world.
    She felt the excitement of the morning return to her as she walked through the screening area, realizing now there was no turning back.   She was about to go from small-town farm girl to international traveler in a matter of a few hours.
    The final act to seal her fate came when she stood in the line to enter the plane.   As much as she tried to hold back the growing feeling of trepidation, Cindy found her limbs tighten up, her breathing become labored, and an undeniable feeling of dread and terror wash over her as she slowly crept down the accordion tube into the narrow aisles of the plane.
    The look of panic on her face must have been perceived as confusion, because the instant she put her big toe in the plane, Cindy found herself seizing up, unable to move another step.
    “May I help you find your seat?”
    Cindy didn’t hear the woman at first, the sound of her deep breathing filled the inner chambers of her ears, her pounding heart muffled the flight attendant’s soft voice.
    “Ma’am?   May I help you?”
    Cindy stared at her, finally bringing recognition to her words.
    “Yes, thanks.”
    She followed the woman only a few feet from where she started.
    “Here you go, Ms. Brown.   Welcome aboard.”
    Cindy was sitting in first class, assigned to a spaciously roomy seat which she hoped would be more comfortable and less traumatizing than the one on the only other flight she’d ever taken.
    “Thank you.”
    The small carry-on bag with her novels slipped easily under the seat in front of her and she closed her eyes, waiting for the moment of truth to arrive and her flight to begin.
    Would she be scared beyond all her wildest imaginings?   Would she humiliate herself?   Cindy hoped things would be different as she covered herself with a blanket, fastened her seatbelt and closed her eyes, pretending to sleep.
    The whole experience would only take fifteen hours, Cindy reminded herself as she tried to rest.   Surely I can handle anything for fifteen hours.
    The calm state of mind Cindy worked so hard to create instantly disappeared at the thunderous sound of the engines. She sat bolt upright and stared wide-eyed at the tightly enclosed space, heart racing as she clutched the armrests so tightly it made her fingers hurt.
    Oh no, oh no.   I can’t do this!   I want out!
    Her breath quickened until she was near hyperventilation, and Cindy wanted nothing more than to get up from her seat and run kicking and screaming back down the hall and into the airport.
    She needed help.   She knew that.   Looking around at all the gadgets and buttons, she vaguely recalled the light above her head and pushed the button that sent her flight attendant rushing to her side.
    “How may I help?”
    “I…..don’t….feel….good.”
    Recognition of Cindy’s fears immediately registered in the woman’s face and she instantly put a reassuring hand on Cindy’s shoulder.
    “Have you ever flown before?”
    “Yes….once.”
    “Okay, good.   Then you know how easy it is.”
    Cindy wanted to slap the smile off of the woman’s face even though she realized the flight attendant was only trying to do her job and that she was sincerely trying to help her.   Nobody could know the terror she felt at being trapped in this mechanical bird that was about to take off and fly.
    “I…can’t.”
    “Yes, you can.   Just take a deep breath, close your eyes and pretend you’re at home relaxing.   Yes, that’s it.”
    Unsure of exactly what “it” was, Cindy knew for sure it wasn’t happening for her.   Her head felt like it was going to explode and she had an incredible urge to crawl under her seat and assume the fetal position.
    “Breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth and just