Dread of flying

We just returned from a 2 week vacation.  We had a great time, but traveling is so difficult and exhausting.  I remember when it used to be fun; an occasion.  People dressed up and were on  their best behavior.  Don't believe me?
I was a stewardess in the mid-sixties.  There were all sorts of rules about who the airlines would consider for employment.  You had to be a certain height and and weight, well groomed, well spoken, and somewhat attractive.  When I applied there had been an ad in my local (Philadelphia) newspaper.  At least 200 young women showed up to be interviewed.  There were 10 interviewers and the interview lasted about 5 minutes.  About 20 of us were asked to return for a second interview.  After the second interview I was asked to take psychological and physical exams.  Five of the original 200 were chosen to attend Stewardess school.
I loved stew school.  It was my first time away from home.  I was 19.  I met some great young women and am still in touch with some of them.  We learned the theory of flight; how to put on makeup, how to serve meals on many different aircraft, something called legalities which had to do with how many hours we could work in a certain period of time for one thing.  We got our hair cut.  we flew in a plane when the engines were all shut down so we wouldn't panic if it happened for real.  We evacuated down a slide in a mock-up.  We had strict curfew hours and there was a scale at the entrance to the cafeteria.
I was assigned to fly out of Newark Airport.  I found an apartment with 2 other stews in NYC.  The job itself was difficult.  We took tickets; we did not have serving carts - we carried everything out by hand individually. We had to wear a girdle (our supervisors checked by slapping our butts), no jewelry of any kind (we could not be married), and our hair could not touch the collar of our uniform (most of us wore wigs).  We served free drinks!! Every passenger was entitled to two servings of alcohol. 
A majority of passengers were men, and we were supposed to appear available and friendly.  Everybody dressed up - men wore suits and women wore suits or dresses.  It was all very civil.  You got to the airport, checked your bag, walked to your gate with anyone who wanted to see you off, got on the plane and were on your way.  No hassles at all.  You got to keep your shoes on.  You could kiss your spouse goodbye right at the gate.  You paid for your ticket and nothing else - no other charges...NONE!!  You didn't have to buy food or bring it with you.  You didn't have to pay to check your suitcase.  There was no security to go through - no conveyor belts, no machines to see you practically naked, no pat-downs.  Very civil.  Something to look forward to.
Today it's all a mess, a big hassle.  I'm old and have medical problems that make it all really difficult.  I have to really want to go somewhere to put up with it all.  I much prefer to go someplace we can drive to easily.  But we have no ocean in Phoenix and I miss the Atlantic - the Jersey shore to be specific.  So once a year, I take an ativan and do it.
We're back now and it's the jet lag that's getting to me.  I haven't unpacked yet.  My husband just told me he unzipped his suitcase.  He hasn't unpacked either.  Maybe tomorrow will be better.