With two hours of the flight remaining, the thought hit me. I didn't want the plane to land.
Spending a year in Australia had been a dream of mine for as long as I could remember. Now, I'd rather the plane didn't land, then realise my dream.
As we approached Sydney, I realised I'd have to fend for myself once we touched down. I wasn't sure whether I was ready to accept that responsibility.
I was afraid. Afraid of what might happen once I stepped foot out of the airport. Afraid I might not like Australia. Afraid of spending a year on the other side of the planet by myself.
All of those had manifested themselves into a state where I now found any kind of accident preferable to the plane landing.
It was ludicrous. But the scenarios I imagined in my mind were more terrifying to me than an aeroplane crash.
Thankfully, those scenarios never came to pass and the plane touched down safely. As I got off the plane, made my way through customs and stepped out of the airport, I realised my fears were misplaced.
Sure it was scary being in another country by myself, but it was also freeing. I realised I was the master of my destiny. Free to go wherever I wanted.
All the catastrophic thinking had been a waste of time. I should have been focusing on the potential opportunities rather than imagined realities that would never come to pass.
I think back to this whenever I begin to think the worst. It's a timely reminder of how irrational your fears can be if they take hold of you.
Fear is a powerful force but it's also a paralysing one. Don't let it take you hostage.