If you struggle with fear of flying, you might want to get help now

In a widely reported article on climate change, British scientists are predicting that by the middle of the next century the frequency of turbulence over the North Atlantic will increase by 170% and the intensity will increase by 40%.

This is obviously bad news for those of us who struggle with fear of flying.  Luckily for me, I’ll be more concerned with finding my dentures than flying to Europe by then, but it still makes me kind of twitchy just thinking about it.

See how calm I look? I’m kind of faking it.

I’ve written frequently and frankly about my own fear of flying, as well as my experiences treating it.  If flying means palpitations, sweating, and white knuckles for you, here are some resources.

1.  SOAR

Online videos, followed by repeated strengthening exercises and a one on one phone consultation with the creator of the program (a pilot and licensed therapist).  This is the program I tried and liked.

2.  Fear of Flying Clinic

A real world treatment program where participants take classes, sit in cockpits, and tour maintenance hangars.  The course takes place over two consecutive weekends, culminating with an optional orientation flight.

The only problem?  If you don’t live in the San Francisco Bay Area, you’ll have to fly to get here.

3.  Virgin Atlantic’s Flying without Fear

If you love flying on Virgin Atlantic and Virgin America — and hey, who doesn’t? — check out their Flying without Fear courses in the U.K.  Not only do you get treatment for your phobia, you also get a hot catered meal and 2,000 frequent flyer miles and a test flight.

4.  Freedom to Fly

If you’re based on the east coast, Freedom to Fly offers twice yearly 6-week workshops at the Westchester County Airport complete with a “graduation flight” from Laguardia to Boston and back.

5.  Brave Flyer

Completely unmoved by statistics on relative air travel safety, the author of this e-book developed a step-by-step system of fear management for before and during flights.  At just $2.99, it doesn’t represent much of a financial risk.

6.  Taking Flight

If you want to network with other people who suffer from fear of flying, check out the various forums on this informative website.  They cover everything from thunderstorms to the best seats for a nervous flyer.

7.  The Virtual Reality Medical Center

If money were no object, I would take myself straight down to this “only in California” treatment center, which offers a flight simulation experience that would rival any theme park ride.  Strapped into an actual commercial airplane seat, the client can feel everything from thunderstorms to the light vibrations of cruising, all with surround sound and visual simulation.  Cool.

Finally, what about apps?  A quick search of the App Store revealed more than 20 iPhone and iPad apps at every price point that claim to treat fear of flying.  I haven’t tried them, but I like the idea of Relax+ with Andrew Johnson.  The app itself is free, but the subjects (fear of flying, control gambling, and nail biting) are all $1.99 each as in-app purchases.  It’s worth a try!

Have you had success with a fear of flying treatment that I haven’t mentioned here?  Please feel free to tell us about it in the comments below.

Visiting the shelling capital of the world with kids

Are you the kind of person who gets a little bored just sitting on the beach?  Do you also not really love swimming in the ocean for hours on end (but your kids do)?  Have I ever got the family beach vacation for you: a week on Sanibel Island.

Shelling at dark o’clock in the morning. We went in the middle of the night with headlamps too. I wish I were kidding.

Low-key Sanibel Island is the shelling capital of the world.  Believe it or not, people travel here from all over the world just to go beach combing — it’s that good.  Even better, you can bring the whole family.  The island is half wildlife sanctuary (birds, snakes, turtles, and alligators) and criss-crossed by wonderful bike paths that are totally separate from the road.

You won’t find any 5-star resorts, but you will find laid back luxury, warm water, white sand, and shelling so good it’ll have you planning your return trip within minutes of stepping on the beach.

Why so many darn shells?

Sanibel is a barrier island shaped kind of like a banana.  The coastline runs west to east (rather than north to south), and sticking out into the Atlantic like it does, it catches shells from the Caribbean.  Lots of shells, over 300 species, in fact.  Especially after storms and extreme tides.  And they are very, very easy to find too.  No scuba diving, no long boat rides, just take a walk on the beach.

I found these beauties in 30 seconds on a single sandbar.

How to strike it rich

First, pay attention to the tide charts.  Ideal times to go are from one hour before to one hour after low tide.  The wonderful website, I Love Shelling, is a great place to get real-time information on conditions (as well as a glimpse into the weird and wonderful world of shelling).  Before you know it, you’ll be on a personal quest for some of the rarest finds!

While many of the big conchs and whelks can be found at the water’s edge, I personally had the best time sitting in a shell mound browsing for miniature shells (which are easier to bring home too).

If you see a shell mound, sit down and enjoy sifting through it.

Also, remember the rules: Florida law prohibits the collection of live seashells.  It almost killed me to throw back the perfect, shiny olive I found complete with a snail-y creature inside, but it was the right thing to do.

If you have a borderline obsessive personality (ahem), you may find yourself shelling for up to 7 hours a day — it’s honestly that fun.  This takes an incredible toll on your neck, back, and thighs, so bring plenty of ibuprofen.

You know how I got this awesome picture? I yelled, “Boo!”

If you go

Depending on where you’re coming from, you can either fly into Miami, rent a car, and drive three hours across a region called “Alligator Alley” (we elected not to do this, since we landed at night) or fly into Ft. Myers, rent a car, and drive 50 minutes to the island.  Yes, you will need a car, even if you decide to get around the island mostly by bike.

Sanibel is low-key and family-friendly.  What it lacks in 5-star resorts and Michelin-rated restaurants, it more than makes up for in beaches, bike paths, birds, and warm water.

After much research, we opted to stay at the Island Inn.  We loved the beachfront location, access to bike paths, and kitchen (so we could save some time on money by not dining out every meal).

This is only one small part of my haul. I’m totally going back.

Although I was accommodated with a media rate on my trip, the Island Inn did not request that I express any particular point of view.  All opinions are my own.

Stress-free camping for lazy parents.  Okay, not totally stress-free.

Plenty of choices within 20 miles of my house.

Last weekend, my 13-year-old daughter spoke aloud the words that strike fear in the hearts of parents everywhere:  let’s go camping.

(In my defense, let me point out that this was in February.  I’m not a total grinch.)

Against my better judgment, I agreed to one night.  “Don’t think of it as a camping trip,” I told my incredulous friend when I called to invite her child.  “Think of it as a sleepover at the home of a family that’s too cheap to turn on the heat.”

Now, I am an experienced car camper with a garage full of expensive and well-used gear to prove it.  But when you are taking four children to the woods for a 24-hour camping trip in February, you need to cut a few corners.  Here are five ways to cheat a little and make your life easier.

1.  Camp close to home

If you don’t know where your closest campground is, do this:  pull up Google maps and type in your address.  Then type “campgrounds” into the search box.  If you don’t find anything you like that way, try searching ReserveAmerica.com and Recreation.gov.  The bottom line here is don’t drive far, especially for a 1-night camp out.

Breakfast doesn’t get much easier than this.

2.  Order takeout

While you’re finding the most convenient campground to your house, you should also keep an eye open for one within easy striking distance of a pizzeria that delivers.  You will make your life much, much easier if you just order a pizza.

Now, is this the true spirit of camping?  Of course not.  But sometimes you have to take the path of least resistance.  When I announced we would be ordering pizza on our February camp out, my kids became somewhat long-faced and gripey.  Then I told them we would cook s’mores and breakfast over the fire, and they made a miraculous recovery.

3.  Go disposable

In general, I am a good steward of the earth.  I recycle, compost, buy in bulk, and try not to buy over-packaged products.  But last weekend, I packed paper plates and cups.  Since we used exactly eight plates and six cups, I felt ethically okay with it.  Plus, we all got a huge laugh out of saying, “Time to do the dishes!” and then dumping everything in the fire.

4.  Cook over the fire

Speaking of the fire, this is a key part of camping so don’t skimp on this (especially in February).  Don’t bother bringing wood, because you can buy it at the campground.  Do buy more than you think you’ll need however, and do it right away, because once the ranger is gone for the night, you’ll be out of luck.

Kids, sharp forks, and molten marshmallows…what could possibly go wrong?

In addition to the traditional dessert of s’mores, we cooked breakfast over the fire too.   A friend introduced us to doughboys years ago, and they’ve become a breakfast tradition.  Here’s what you do: open (but do not unroll) a tube of crescent rolls.  Slice them into 1/2″ rounds.  Spear the rounds on an extendable roasting fork and cook them over the fire until they puff up and are golden brown.  Carefully remove them from the fork, butter them, and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.

Not only is this a fairly mess and packing-neutral breakfast, it will keep your kids happily occupied for at least an hour.  Win-win.  If all that sounds like too much effort, just toast bagels.

Need a midday snack?  Try these campfire nachos.  I’ve never made them, but seriously, how could they not be good?

5.  Grab and go

When you wake up the next morning, all your gear will be dusty and wet with dew.  This is incredibly depressing.  Instead of waiting for it all to dry and then trying to clean it all up before you pack, just throw everything in the car and do all that at home.  You can dry your tent in your garage if it’s not sunny enough outside.

The advantage of doing it this way is that you can take your time putting everything away, and you don’t have to worry about trying to supervise your kids around a campfire when you’re doing it.

The best day of our lives?  It just might have been.

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side·track (sīd´trăk): n. 1. A diversion from the main course.  2. A detour taken with children that you would never, ever take without them.
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Who:
Myself, my husband, and our daughters, Zoe, Cora and Lena (6, 5 and 1).

What:
Island Vibes half day snorkel tour cruise in the exquisitely beautiful Turks & Caicos. This tour consisted of snorkeling, exploring an uninhabited island, dancing on deck, eating fresh conch and finally having a ‘pool party’ at sea. If it was just hubby and I we would have opted for the full day cruise, but with three kids this 4-hour sidetracked adventure fit just right.

Why:

I was looking for a family friendly tour company so we could see some of the islands. I found myself on the phone with ‘Marvelous Marvin’ who suggested the tour might just be the best day of our lives… how could I possibly resist?

The High Point:
Snorkeling on the world’s third largest reef in the crystal clear waters of Grace Bay was as amazing as it sounds. We were lucky enough to see JoJo the sociable dolphin frolicking about in the waves.

Our hosts, Tino and Mo were incredibly welcoming, wildly fun, and safe (yay child size life jackets!). The boat anchored at an uninhabited island where Mo showed us the conch he caught while we were snorkeling. We helped de-shell the conch so Tino could make some delicious conch salad while the passengers explored the island searching for iguana.

Back on board, Tino and Mo showed us all some very colorful ‘top secret’ island dance moves while the music played. I don’t think my daughters could possibly imagine anything more fun than a dance party on a boat. That is, until they anchored the boat and we all had a chance to jump off the diving board on the 2^nd deck! The looks on their faces of mixed terror and joy as they hurled their tiny selves into the sea (and daddy’s waiting arms) was as memorable as them crawling back on board dripping wet and beaming with pride.

The Low Point:
Sea conditions are calmest March through September.  In January the sea was still very snorkel-able, but the extra chop in the water had our novice swimmer kids a bit skittish.

My one year old obviously lacks the ability to snorkel or jump off a diving board. Hubby and I simply took turns snuggling her on deck.

The Kids’ Take:

Zoe’s favorite part was pulling the “gooey cool” conch out of the shell. Cora’s was jumping “like Pocahontas” off the boat’s diving board. Lena loved toddling around the shallow pools of water on the island and making new friends to blow kisses at.

The Bottom Line:
The best day of our lives? Zoe and Cora are convinced that Marvelous Marvin was right!  I highly recommend spending a day with these wild and crazy guys. You can check them out at www.islandvibestours.com.

Disclosure:  Island Vibes Tours comped our half-day snorkel tour cruise.  They did not request that I express any particular point of view, and all opinions are my own.

–Julie Breitigan