Dutch Bike Traveller

Too bad this guy's stories are all in Dutch. He's traveled all around the world on his bicycle, and here's a few short stories that I found in English

Frank Van Rijn

Pretty sweet! Wish Joe and I could do that...

On another note, I had a dream about a plane crash, and I wasn't sure if my brother seb was in the plane or not... Rembrandt was reassuring me that he wasn't, but no one knew for sure. I remember that I saw it all happen, the plane started having problems with it's wings, and then managed to get flipped upside-down and crash. I was trying to take cell phone pics the whole time, to get "evidence" for cnn, haha! But today, I've been looking at steps to overcoming a fear of flying and this is what they recommend:

1. Face the facts. Don't forget that the statistics are on your side. One study found that it's 261 times safer to take a plane from New York to Los Angeles than to drive the same distance. However, if this rational approach isn't doing much to address your irrational fear, then...
2. Know what to expect. A large part of being scared is not knowing what will happen next. Why is the plane going so fast? Why do my ears feel funny? Why does the wing look weird? Why are we hitting turbulence? Why are we being asked to keep our seat belts on? When presented with an unusual circumstance, your first instinct is to assume the worst. To minimize this, learn everything you can about flying. The plane needs to reach a certain speed so that it can take off, your ears are popping because of a change in pressure, certain parts of the wing are supposed to move, and so on: everything that is happening happens every time a plane goes into flight.
3. Learn to meditate. In other words, before you step onto a plane, learn how to control your thoughts. Sit down in a chair, close your eyes, and pretend you are on a plane. When something strikes your fear and you start feeling anxious, try to stop the thought process--the imagery--from funnelling out of control. Think about something else you're excited about, or at least something that will take your mind off of your fears. Listen to yourself breathe. Recite the alphabet backwards. Count to 5,000.
4. Bring doctor-prescribed anti-anxiety medication, just in case. Make an appointment with your MD and explain your situation. Don't wait until you're on the plane and alcohol becomes your only option. Being intoxicated, or taking any kind of drug that is not prescribed by your doctor to address this specific situation, will probably only make things worse.
5. Face your fear head-on by taking flying lessons. There are countless stories of people who've feared something all their lives only to meet it face-to-face one day and discover that the object of their fear was nothing to be afraid of. One way to conquer a phobia is to immerse yourself in it--in what you know is a safe situation (i.e. in the presence of trained professional). With the guidance of a patient instructor, you might find that flying isn't so scary after all.
6. Accept that you are not in control. Risk is a part of life. You never know what's right around the corner. Fear is all about anticipating, worrying, and wanting to control the future. Once you become more comfortable with the idea that what will be will be, flying will not be as much of a threat to your peace of mind.

They also mention that your odds of dying in a commercial plane crash are 9 million to 1 !
The best recommendations for surviving a plane crash, are sitting very close to an emergency exit, wearing the right clothes, knowing the procejures, and most importantly.... people have a 40% higher chance of survival if you're sitting in the rear of the plane!! that's a big effin difference!

Ok, I'm officially done talking about airplanes... !