u/littleloveday

So yesterday after we had boarded my plane but everyone was still getting settled and the doors were not closed, a ground vehicle accidentally hit our plane and the whole thing shook. I didn't see what vehicle hit it, but it wasn’t a huge accident at speed or anything, more of a shock.

We were all sent back to the gate and it was decided that the plane could not be used (I didn’t see any physical damage). No more flights were available that day, so I’ve been rebooked on the same flight for two days later.

I am a really nervous flyer and this one anxiety is now plaguing me. After something like this happens, what is the likelihood of them using that same plane for the flight I am now rebooked on? Would they use the same plane that we were taken off? It‘s the same flight number, just a different day.

A very illogical part of me is worried that they will use the same plane that got hit and something might go wrong. What sort of protocols might be in place to ensure the safety of the plane after something like this happens (this was a flight between Stockholm and Dublin)? I know logically that they will ensure everything is safe before putting people back on it, but there is a very loud part of my brain that is really worried.

Can anyone offer any advice or reassurance?

Hi all, I am a PhD student in Ireland and heading into some of the busiest parts of the whole project. I’m motivating myself by researching and fantasising about a solo trip I want to take once my final viva exam is complete! I’m hoping that some people here will have some suggestions :)

I want to find somewhere to rent for a week or two on the edge of a small town or village in the UK, where there is easy access on foot to outdoor walking trails/national park. I don’t drive, so it needs to be accessible by public transport, and I’d need to be able to get myself some groceries easily enough locally. I’d also love there to be some sort of garden or outdoor space where I can listen to nature and sit in the sunlight!

An example here in Ireland would be Killarney, which sits right at the entrance to a national park and has loads of walking trails and big beautiful open natural spaces. Killarney town is medium sized and has everything you’d need for a trip. Or Inishboffin off Galway, an island sitting just off the coast where you are basically living in nature but there’s a small local shop and some restaurants/bars for food. A great example I found in Wales would be Betws-y-Coed, which seems to have all of these elements.

Can you recommend any similar places? Basically somewhere for a solo rural retreat with really peaceful nature and some food nearby, accessible by public transport and walking! Where I can come down from the overwhelm of it all.