Childhood Memory

One childhood memory that I remember particularly well is when I first rode in a plane. It was on the weekend, most likely a Saturday and I was about twelve years old. It was also summer break so I slept in until twelve o'clock. When my dad woke me up and said we were going for a ride, I didn't realize where we were going until we pulled into the Orange County airport which was conveniently just a few minutes from my dad's house. 

I still remember the sound of propellers and engines roaring on the runway. As we got out of the car I could see many planes, from propeller to jet planes, which was probably for some type of event. We both walked over to the registration stand to obtain a flight. At that moment, a sense of ambiguity fell over me as I experienced both fear and excitement. But, as my dad finished up the paper work, the person behind the desk pointed to the plane which we were to ride. As we walked closer and closer to the plane, I noticed just how large this vehicle was compared to when I first saw it when we arrived.

When I passed the point of no return by taking that first step onto the plane, my fear grew even more. After we took our seats, I felt the plane start to move forward and turn onto the runway. At that point, the only thing that could save me was if the engine magically broke. However, the plane soon inched forward and accelerated until the scenery outside of my window began to blur. Then, the plane tilted up and the wheels lifted off of the asphalt. As the plane got higher into the air, I remember seeing the tops of trees, people on the ground who became increasingly minuscule, and the large expanse of land which ended at the distant horizon.

The experience of flight was extremely exciting once I got over my fear. The mesmerizing surroundings seemed to distract me from the extreme height. It seemed almost surreal looking at a place I have seen for years but from a different perspective. Also, the sense of flight was new to me as this was the first time I have ever flown before. It was amazing being thousands of feet in the air.

After several minutes, the plane turned around to land back at the airport again. Then, the plane began to descend and it finally landed back at the airport.