Committing to takeoff
On courage, resilience, and trusting yourself in uncertain times
As another year begins, sure to bring with it new challenges and obstacles and fears to face, I’m reminded of a spontaneous decision I made several years ago, when I decided to get a tattoo…
But the story behind it started a few years earlier. Once paralyzed by a fear of flying—so much so that I almost canceled trips last minute—I’d slowly developed a fascination with the intricacies of commercial aviation. As the dark abyss of my fear grew ever smaller, excitement, curiosity, and a sense of reverence for the modern marvel that is air travel were left in its place.1
In the process of conquering my fear of flying, I learned to trust the mechanics of an airplane. In hindsight, I was also learning to trust myself.
As an airplane is speeding down the runway for takeoff, it reaches a critical point called the “decision speed”—also known as “V1”—at which point pilots must determine if it is safe to continue. If something goes wrong, they have enough runway left to abort the takeoff safely. But beyond the decision speed, should anything go awry, it’s safer for the pilots to deal with any issues in the air as they climb out. At this point, they have fully committed to takeoff and the pilots trust the airplane to keep climbing into the sky.
When I discovered this concept, I was facing a pivotal moment in my life—not unlike a pilot reaching their decision speed. I had recently moved from the suburbs of Ohio to New York City, and I was, as they say, going through it. I went from not having to pay rent to living in one of the most expensive cities in the world. I went from a cushy job at a Fortune 500 company to waitressing while I looked for work. I had saved up some cash and given myself three months to find a job and an apartment, but after I burned through the money and the shot clock ran out, I had to make a choice: do I call it quits and move back home? Or do I sustain the (little) forward momentum I had to see what I could make of it?
This was one of many personal “V1 moments” in my life, where a critical decision would shape my future.
This year, I’ll celebrate eight years of living in New York.
On the inside of my left wrist, “V1” is etched in tiny black lines. It’s a symbol of what I’m capable of, a reminder of how far I’ve come. Even if each new year brings new challenges, I know that with them comes even greater confidence that I can overcome them. One thing about me? I’m going to sustain forward momentum at all costs.
I’ll always keep climbing. I hope you trust yourself to always keep climbing, too.
When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it. — Henry Ford
From the flight deck 🛫
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My heart goes out to everyone in LA. For those displaced by the fires, Airbnb is offering free, temporary housing and some hotels are offering discounted rates. Airbnb is working with 211 LA to offer temporary housing, free of charge, to residents displaced from the Altadena, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Pasadena, Santa Monica and Sylmar areas. Request housing by filling out this intake form. Hotels in LA, Orange, and San Diego counties are also joining the charge, offering discounted rates and often waiving pet fees or changing their policies to accept them. Find a list of hotels here.
Lots of great Delta news recently as they celebrate their 100th year. Among the announcements are a partnership with Uber (you can now earn SkyMiles for Uber rides and UberEats orders over $40) and a new AI tool built into their app called Delta Concierge. I’m not normally excited about these kinds of things, but one of its perks is that it will notify you of any visa requirements or upcoming passport expiration dates (hugely beneficial, IMO).
Ed. note: In my last newsletter, I asked in a poll what kind of content you’d like to see more of from me, and the response was overwhelmingly, “personal essays.” Do you have any meaningful mantras or guiding principles similar to my “V1?” I would love to hear about them in the comments.
Tori Simokov is a Travel Writer and Graphic Designer/Strategist based in New York. To get in touch, email tori@v1projects.com. Want more? Check out Instagram, TikTok, or shop her curated favorites.
Want to know how I did it? I dive into the details in this post.
I loved this. you've once again taught me something about aviation! whilst also providing a much needed dash of inspo in these weird times <3
such a powerful story - thank you for sharing!